Oct 7 probe to take longer than two weeks

Pornthip, concurrently a committee member, said the government had not set a deadline for the committee to conclude its report.

She said she understood that Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat had given committee chairman Preecha Panitwong a free rein to conduct his investigation as deemed necessary.

She noted, however, that the Preecha committee had the mandate for fact-finding but not to apportion blame for the botched crowd dispersal, which inflicted more than 400 casualties, including two deaths.

With regard to the authorisation of crowd dispersal, she said the committee had yet to decide whether to check into the urgent Cabinet meeting on the night of October 6 preceding the botched operations.

Meanwhile Jaroenjit Na Songkhla, who has been shortlisted as a member of a government committee tasked with probing the crackdown, said he must be mistakenly invited to join in the job, because of his poor visions that last for more than ten years.

"Those who named me as a panel member must not have been aware of my eyesight problem. They have not even asked me before putting my name in the list," he added.

However, Jaroenjit said was willing to help but would do only the part that he could contribute. "I will not attend the meetings so frequently," he added.