FORMER prime minister and Democrat party-list MP Chuan Leekpai lambasted Gen.Pisal Watanwongkhiri, who was in charge of the Fourth Army Region when the Tak Bai manslaughter occurred in 2004, for not showing up in court to fight the case saying this leads to people in the South believing he is guilty, Naewna newspaper said this evening (Oct. 13).
Deputy House Speaker Pichet Chuamuangpan confirmed that Gen. Pisal, a Pheu Thai party-listed MP on the loose, had earlier taken leave from the House of Representatives until the end of this month for personal reasons.
An arrest warrant has been earlier issued by the Narathiwat provincial court for Pisal while the 20-year litigation period will expire Oct. 25.
The former southern army commander who had performed in the time of former prime minister/now de facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra had been held accountable, alongside eight other suspects, for the historic manslaughter of 85 southern protesters, 78 of whom had suffocated after they had been rounded up by army troops outside Tak Bai police station and carried aboard overcrowded army trucks on the way to an army camp in Pattani.
Chuan said after the injured party filed a lawsuit the court had ruled that there are grounds to the charges but those accused, ranging from police and military officers as well as civilians, did not appear for the hearing which led to this arrest warrant being issued. Pertinently, each person’s involvement in this manslaughter differed.
He advised those charged to fight the case because if they flee they will be fleeing from the charges their entire life.
“I would recommend that anyone who thinks they did nothing wrong to go fight the case in court before the statute of limitations expires. This will make it clear who did something wrong and who did not,” he said.
Asked if the litigation period expires and nothing is done would this lead to violence breaking out in the South, Chuan replied that it would have an effect at the very least there would be a feeling among the public that those involved but did not show up to fight the case did something wrong as accused.
Asked if Gen Pisal would lack political ethics if he continued performing his duties as an MP after the statute of limitations expires, Chuan refused to reply.
However Chuan did mentioned that former prime minister Srettha Thavisin did not include the Southern issue in his policy statement and it was he who raised the matter, stating that lives are more important than money because economic policy errors may cost hundreds of billions of baht but security policy errors lead to death.
Where the current government is concerned, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra only included one line about the Southern issue in her policy statement, Chuan said, adding that he remembers this was on page 12 and that she accepted this matter but there were no details.
CAPTIONS:
Former prime minister and Democrat MP Chuan Leekpai. Top photo: Thai Rath, Front Page photo: Naewna
Insert: Pheu MP and former Fourth Army Region commander Gen. Pisal Watanawongkhiri. Photo:Matichon
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