From: kamol@ipied.tu.ac.TH (Kamol Hengkietisak)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.thai
Subject: Oct 8: Chuan to let law prevails over May incident
Date: 10 Oct 1992 08:43:28 +1000
Organization: Mail/News gateway

PRIME Minister Chuan Leekpai said yesterday he would allow law 
enforcement officials to decide how to deal with the 
demonstrators and military officers involved in the May incident 
previously covered by the Amnesty Decree.
 
Mr Chuan said the question of justice could not be compromised 
because it concerned what was right and wrong.
 
"Please do not pay attention to those who are to be affected (as 
a consequence of the rejection of the Amnesty Decree)," he said.
 
"Everything has to proceed in accordance with the law," the Prime 
Minister said when asked whether some people in his government 
might be prosecuted after the decree was dropped.
 
He declined to comment on a question whether senior military 
officers responsible for ordering the crackdown on demonstrators 
during the May 17-21 protests would be tried by a military or 
criminal court.
 
The "killing" of the Amnesty Decree Wednesday by the House of 
Representatives will not result in any change of the Cabinet, he 
said, adding the pro-democracy parties had made it a common stand 
from the beginning that the decree would be rejected.
 
The Prime Minister said he understood from the very beginning 
that "problems and politics are inseparable" and so was prepared 
to accept the consequences.
 
"Once a problem is solved, another will emerge. We have to be 
prepared."
 
He said he was not worried and would do his best to cope with the 
consequences of rejecting the Amnesty and Judiciary Reform 
decrees.
 
Mr Chuan said he could not tell whether the military 
investigation into the May tragedy would be made public or not.
 
"If it is confidential, then it cannot be revealed."
 
But when the findings reach the police and public prosectors it 
will be difficult to keep secret, he said.
 
The Police Department yesterday set up a centre at the 
Metropolitan Police Bureau to receive complaints from people 
about the May protesters and the military officers responsible 
for ordering the crackdown.
 
The centre will be manned by a committee led by assistant 
director-general Pol Lt-Gen Pracha Promnok.
 
Police Director-General Sawat Amornvivat said yesterday the 
committee would receive and investigate complaints. Arrests will 
not be made until there is a clear ruling from the Juridical 
Council.
 
He refused to say whether police would re-issue warrants for the 
arrest of 19 protest leaders wanted by the former government of 
prime minister Suchinda Kraprayoon.
 
Three Opposition MPs yesterday sought explanations from police 
about their investigation into the May incident.
 
Chart Thai MPs Chongchai Thiangtham and Chaowarin Latthasaksiri 
and Chart Pattana's Chamlong Krutkhunthod said they thought 
everyone involved in the incident and later absolved by the 
Amnesty Decree could now be prosecuted.
 
"We will follow this case closely so it can be established who 
were right and wrong, and who were the angels and who the 
satans," said Mr Chaowarin.
 
He urged relatives of the May victims to file criminal charges 
against pro-democracy leaders, claiming they were responsible for 
the violence.
 
  About 800 people, including Palang Dharma Party de facto leader 
Chamlong Srimuang, were charged and later released after the 
Amnesty Decree was issued.  
 
Arrest warrants issued for seven leaders among the Confederation 
for Democracy and New Aspiration Party, namely Veera Musikapong 
and Prasong Soonsri, have been withdrawn by police.
 
A complaint was yesterday lodged with Nang Lerng police by 
self-styled activist Varunchai Chokechana, demanding that those 
involved in the May incident -- Maj-Gen Chamlong, Gen Suchinda, 
then army chief Gen Issarapong Noonpakdee, former army chief ACM 
Kaset Rojananil and former interior minister ACM Anan Kalintha -- 
be summoned for questioning.
 
These people, he said, should be prosecuted.
 
An Interior Ministry official said the Police Department had been 
told by the ministry to seek instructions from the Juridical 
Council on how to cope with demonstrators and others affected by 
the Amnesty Decree.
 
The official said it would take at last two weeks for the 
Juridical Council to make an interpretation, or even longer if it 
is decided those involved should face prosecution.
 
While a reply is pending from the Juridical Council, the official 
said police would accept complaints against demonstrators or 
military officers accused of breaking the law. But there will be 
no arrests.
 
The official also said Maj-Gen Chamlong and the other MPs 
involved in the protests were protected by parliamentary 
immunity.
 
He also said he thought the government would surely issue an 
amnesty bill absolving peaceful demonstrators from any criminal 
indictment if the rejection of the Amnesty Decree is interpreted 
as allowing their prosecution.
 
Magsaysay Award winner Dr Prawase Wasi said legal action should 
be taken against anyone who damaged government property and 
buildings but not those protesters who rallied peacefully.
 
He also said Maj-Gen Chamlong had not committed any wrongdoing 
during the demonstration but had been protesting peacefully.
 
He said any legal proceedings taken by people affected by the 
incidents were unlikely to lead to any conflict between the 
Government and the military.