Additional motives for renewed probes?

Last Monday, top Thai human rights activists met with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, urging the PM to hasten the solving of human rights cases - especially those of missing Muslim human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit and the rohingya boat people.

Yesterday Abhisit called Deputy Police chief General Thani Somboonsap and Assistant Police Chief Lt-Gen Assawin Khwanmuang - reportedly tipped to be chief of Department of Special Investigation (DSI) -and asked them to speed up cases under DSI's respon-sibility. The PM reasoned the cases are related to security and international ties.

Abhisit wants the police to revive unre-solved cases involving the murders of three Saudi Arabian diplomats in Thailand in 1989-1990; the disappearance of human rights lawyer Somchai Neelapaichit; the murder of Kornthep Viriya, alias 'Shipping Moo', a key witness in a tax evasion case against Shin Satellite Corp of former prime minister Thaksin; and the murders of a British cou-ple who worked for Stamford University in Hua Hin.

There was no question about the Saudi Arabians and the murder of the British cou-ple as they were both cases of international interest and the government was right to be concerned about them. But there was some doubt about Somchai's disappearance and the shooting death of Kornthep - were they to settle "old scores" with Thaksin?

Somchai went missing dur-ing Thaksin's administration. The lawyer was accused of providing legal assistance to a member of the regional terror-ist group Jemaah Islamiyah. It is reported Thaksin was unhappy with his role in help-ing suspected insurgents.

The then opposition Democrat Party raised the death of 'Shipping Moo' as a key issue in a no-confidence motion against Thaksin.

The background of the two cases reveals they involved Thaksin and created a nega-tive image for him. But five years on, the cases are still unsolved, even despite the coming to power of prime ministers Samak Sundaravej and Somchai Wongsawat. It was as if the two PMs deliber-ately ignored moves to solve the cases.

It would be fine if the gov-ernment had a clear policy to clean up these murders. But it would be sad if the motive for renewed inquiries was simply to "get" Thaksin.