Human rights lawyers to sue police for ‘failure’ to protect protesters outside Parliament
A group of human-right lawyer said it will sue police for abandoning the scene of clashes between rival groups of pro-democracy and royalist protesters near Parliament on Tuesday.
The potential for violence at Kiak Kai Intersection, where police officers set up barriers, was obvious before Tuesday’s clashes, said the human rights lawyers in a letter addressed to the chiefs of the Royal Thai Police and Metropolitan Police.
“However, as was presented in newspapers and other media, police officers left their stations abruptly, leaving people from the two groups to confront each other. The first battle took place around 5pm, and another on 8pm, without any intervention by police. The result of this action was that five people suffered gunshot wounds,” the letter said.
The letter accused the police of neglecting their duty and endangering life, in violation of the criminal code.
It warned police chiefs not to allow a repeat of the negligence today at the pro-democracy rally at Ratchaprasong Intersection.
Any repetition will prove that police are seeking to deprive protesters of their rights by using a rival group as a tool against them, the letter added.