Soldier killed by 'friendly fire' in 2010 clash
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A Criminal Court inquest concluded yesterday that "friendly fire" killed an Army private during a clash with red-shirt protesters in front of the National Memorial in April 2010.
The court concluded that Private Narongrit Sala from the Second Battalion of the Ninth Infantry Division in Kanchanaburi was killed by a high-velocity bullet fired by a soldier operating in the area.
Narongrit was a member of a rapid-response patrol unit deployed to control the situation in front of the National Memorial in Don Muang district on April 28, 2010. At that time, police and troops were clashing with red-shirt protesters in the area.
Narongrit was gunned down at 3pm on the outbound Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road by a high-velocity bullet that passed through his left elbow, pierced his skull and destroyed brain tissue, the inquest found. The court concluded that the bullet was definitely fired by a soldier operating in the area.
It was the eighth inquest into deaths related to the 2010 political violence heard by the Criminal Court so far.
Prosecutors and relatives of Narongrit did not turn out to hear the inquest result.
Of the seven previous cases, four deaths were found to have been caused by troops, while the court declined to conclude which side caused two other deaths. In the remaining case, the court ruled an injured protester died of cancer, not injuries inflicted by soldiers.
On May 29, the South Bangkok Criminal Court is scheduled to announce the result of its inquest into the death of Fabio Polenghi, an Italian cameraman who was shot dead near the Ratchaprasong intersection on May 19 as troops were cracking down on red-shirt protesters.
Polenghi was believed to have been killed at about 10am while covering the crackdown near Lumpini Park.
