Efficient police wouldn’t shoot the messenger
Instead of charging those who first posted the clip showing the brutal assault of an elderly British couple and their son in Hua Hin, the police should improve their protection of tourists to a level where we’d be proud to have their expertise showcased w
The cops say that the clip damages Thailand’s image by ensuring that the attack receives global attention. But the video was a full and honest record of what actually happened: the family’s son accidentally bumped into one of the suspects in a bar district. The four suspects apparently turned on the son and his parents, seriously injuring all three.
The attack occurred during Songkran, in one of our most popular tourist towns, when police protection was at its peak and bolstered by tens of thousands of soldiers given unprecedented police powers. It was in a crowded area covered by closed-circuit cameras monitored 24/7 by police and municipality personnel.
Had the clip shown bystanders and police stepping in immediately to stop the vicious attackers before any serious injury took place, or shown the suspects arrested immediately instead of three days later, the cops would be proud to show it to the world, as evidence of their expertise.
Burin Kantabutra
