Organization: Central Michigan University
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.seasia-l
Date:         Mon, 16 Nov 1992 07:53:02 EST
From:         Elliott Parker <3ZLUFUR@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
Subject:      TH: May victims to sue military brass

=======================  Forwarded  Message  ===========================
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 92 22:29:42+0700
From: Kamol Hengkietisak <kamol@ipied.tu.ac.th>

RELATIVES of people who died in the May unrest and three
pro-democracy groups reaffirmed yesterday they would take legal
action against the military leaders who ordered the bloody
crushing of the demonstrations.

The relatives, the Students' Federation of Thailand, the Campaign
for Popular Democracy and the Confederation for Democracy will
submit a petition to Police Department chief Sawat Amornvivat on
Thursday to urge investigators to forward autopsy reports on those
killed in the bloodshed to public prosecutors, said CPD
general-secretary Somchai Homla-or.

The prosecutors will then be required by law to forward the
reports to the Criminal Court for a trial on the cause of their
deaths, said Mr Somchai.

"According to articles 148-156 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the
police are required to follow this procedure. Relatives of victims
are allowed to appoint a lawyer to present a case against officers
suspected of committing extra-judicial killings," said the lawyer.

He said the Police chief must follow this legal process or face
punishment for negligence.

The testimony may reveal that the officers involved in the brutal
crushing of the pro-democracy protests had exceeded their
authority, he said.

The four groups met yesterday at the Christian Student Centre near
Saphan Hua Chang to discuss their response to the Constitutional
Tribunal's ruling last week in favour of the amnesty decree issued
after the unrest by the Suchinda Kraprayoon Government.

CFD Chairman Sant Hateerat called on the Chuan Leekpai
administration to discipline the officers involved although the
tribunal ruling has effectively absolved them of any wrongdoing.

"This is not a personal affair between the victims' relatives and
those killing generals. It is a national issue, and the Government
should punish those who ordered the use of violence against the
demonstrators. It has to set a moral standard for the country,"
said Mr Somchai.

He said the victims' relatives will file at least three lawsuits
against the military commanders to mark the six months that have
passed since the massacre.

"We will fight in three courts for justice in society," said Adul
Khiewboriboon, chairman of the relatives committee.

The parents of an eight-year-old boy who was shot and killed will
on Friday file the first lawsuit in Criminal Court with the help
of law academics, human rights activists and the Law Society, said
SFT secretary-general Supat Hasuwannakij.

The boy, Joe `Noo' Kaewpamorn, was shot in Saphan Khao as he sold
vegetables. He was two months in hospital before dying of his
injuries.

Dr Sant said relatives of victims in the United States will file
lawsuits in the human rights court against each officer who
ordered the shooting because they cannot get justice in Thailand.

"If the court rules the five senior officers guilty, they will be
banned from entering the US for the rest of their lives. This
would be a lesson to other dictators," said CFD committee member
Arom Meechai.

Named in the latter lawsuits are former prime minister Suchinda,
army chief Issarapong Noonpakdee, interior minister Anant Kalinta,
supreme commander Kaset Rojananil and First Army chief Chainarong
Noonpakdee.

Dr Sant said the lawsuit would not cause US economic sanctions
against Thailand because it is a private matter.

Ms Arom said next March she will submit the May bloodshed for
consideration to the United Nations convention on Human Rights
Abuse in Switzerland.

Mr Adul asked the government to show its desire to find the
missing by releasing the investigation report of the May unrest
conducted for the Defence Ministry by Gen Phichit Kulavanich,
because it contains the names of the army truck drivers who were
on duty at the time.

"This may help uncover where the bodies were dumped. The police
cannot help because some of them were involved in the killings,"
he said.

"Six months have passed. But they have accomplished nothing,"
complained one man who lost his son.

Another CFD member, Weng Tochirakarn, asked the Opposition not to
tell the public that the pro-democracy demonstrators were
wrongdoers.

"An opposition party leader claiming to know the whereabouts of
the bodies and to have photos of burned bodies should make them
public," he said, apparently referring to Muan Chon Party leader
Chalerm Yoobamroong.

Mr Adul condemned the Chuan government for not helping them more
since he took office.

"All our funds came from the Anand Panyarachun administration. We
have received no money or cooperation from this so-called
democratic government," said Mr Adul.

He urged the government to make monthly payments to the relatives
of the dead and injured, like it does to the families of the
victims of the October 14, 1973, unrest.

He also asked the government shorten the time before it can
officially declare someone as missing from three years to one.

Mr Supat asked the Government to amend the Constitution to prevent
administrations from issuing amnesty decrees and to make the
interpretation process of the Constitutional Tribunal "more
democratic."

"The Government, because it has gained from the sacrifices of the
May victims, must erect a monument to those heroes and heroines,"
said Mr Supat.

Pro-democracy groups will on Saturday hold a merit-making
ceremony, presided over by Mr Chuan, to mark the bloodshed's
six-month anniversary at Wat Ratchanadda and the Democracy
Monument.