Orders came from above, says Dr Pornthip

Forensic expert Khunying Pornthip Rojanasunand said yesterday that politicians had pressured the police to take action against the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) demonstrators on October 7.

The clashes last week claimed two lives and injured more than 400 victims, many of them maimed.

"I was told that senior policemen had initially decided they would not disperse the demonstrators, but were finally forced to take action by political-office holders," Pornthip said in a radio interview, adding that senior police officers could not intervene because the orders had come from higher ups.

"Actually, the masterminds issued the orders since 2am, but the national police chief negotiated to start the operation at 6am," Pornthip said.

When asked if the masterminds were then-deputy prime minister Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh and Interior Minister Kowit Watana, Pornthip said, "Please ask the national police chief."

Pornthip, who heads the Central Institute of Forensic Science, said her statement was based on information she had gleaned from informal talks with senior police officers, military officers, government officials and doctors who had met to discuss last week's clashes.

Army chief Gen Anupong Paochinda, who chairs a panel monitoring security issues in the country, invited Pornthip to join the meeting, where six key questions about the bloody clashes were discussed:

l Why did the policemen tasked with dispersing the crowds come from different units, including the Border Patrol Police Bureau?

l Which unit provided weapons and tear gas for the operation?

l Were the police officers taking part in the operation trained?

l Why did they use a hundred tear-gas canisters when they could have made do with a few?

l Who did the orders come from?

l Why did policemen continue dispersing PAD demonstrators in the evening despite the bloody clashes earlier in the day?

"Government officials should speak up. They should tell the truth," Pornthip said.

On Sunday, Pornthip checked the different types of tear-gas canisters used. When asked about the results and the car explosion in front of the Chart Thai Party headquarters, she promised that "there would be answers to both incidents".

According to her, the tear gas came from China and contained RDX - one of the most powerful military explosives.

She also said that she would provide all forensic results and details to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to conclude the case.

At a press conference, NHRC chairman Saneh Chamarik said his agency would look into the line of command surrounding the October 7 incident.

"Victims include both sides, laymen and policemen," he said, adding that political-office holders should be held responsible. "There must have been someone behind the police's use of violence."

Saneh added that NHRC would summon senior police officers and politicians accused of ordering the violence, and said his group may also help the clash victims take legal action.

Earlier in the day, Pornthip showed pictures of the late PAD protester Angkana Radappanyawut's. Angkana died on October 7 while attending the PAD rally with her mother.

"The wound on her body is round, and is caused by the impact of a cylindrical tear-gas canister that was fired by a launcher. This type explodes one second after it hits the target," Pornthip explained.

She said it was clear that Angkana's death and injuries sustained by other demonstrators stemmed from such weapons.

After attending the National Police Day celebrations, national police chief Pol General Patcharawat Wongsuwan said the agency was very sorry for using force to make way for legislators to attend the Parliament last week.

However, he declined to comment on people's negative sentiments about the police after the incident, saying he would rather wait for a clear investigation report.