Hearing on Chiang Mai killing starts

Lahu activist Chaiyapoom Pasae and Abe Sae Moo were killed at the Ban Rin Luang military checkpoint in Chiang Mai’s Chiang Dao district earlier this year.
Public prosecutors have asked the court to look into the deaths. Lawyers representing the parents of Abe and Chaiyapoom have also exercised the right to cross-examine witnesses at the hearings. 
A hearing in Chaiyapoom’s case took place at the court yesterday. 
“We have prepared 10 witnesses for this case in a bid to get to the truth,” Sumitchai Hattasarn, a lawyer from the Centre for Protection and Revival of Local Community Rights, said. 
He said public prosecutors had prepared 45 witnesses for the soldiers. 
The shooting of Abe took place on February 15, with officials claiming that they shot in self defence because Abe was about to throw a grenade as he fled in a drug case. 
Then on March 17, Chaiyapoom was shot allegedly because he pulled out a grenade at the checkpoint after the discovery of drugs in his car. 
“The parents of both Abe and Chaiyapoom doubt such claims,” Sumitchai said. 
The trial regarding Abe’s death was also scheduled to take place yesterday but because his father could not come to the court as a witness, the session was postponed until December. 
Witness hearings were rescheduled to take place on December 21, 22 and 26.
Preeda Nakapiew, a lawyer representing Abe’s mother, said his team had prepared six witnesses for the hearings while public prosecutors had prepared seven. 
“Witnesses from us include Abe’s parents, those who saw the shooting, and experts in guns and forensic science,” he said.