Twelve people missing after crackdowns : activists

At least 12 people are reported missing during the red-shirt demonstrations according to a centre established by the Student Federation of Thailand, the October Network and the People, Writers and Artists for Democracy.

The centre began receiving complaints since Wednesday.

As of 2pm yesterday, the centre had received reports that 12 people went missing.

"Most of them are migrants who have come to live and work in Bangkok for a long time already," the centre's coordinator, Chainarin Kularb-am, said yesterday.

People who want to contact the centre can call (083) 812 5659 or email to ontontmong@hotmail.com.

"We have established the centre for humanitarian reasons, not political reason," said Wipa Daomanee from the October Network.

She also called on reporters or photojournalists to step forward if they saw anything "wrong" during the troops' operations in Bangkok.

Since Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva declared that Bangkok was under a state of emergency, troops were mobilised to control the situation as red-shirted demonstrators blocked roads and set ablaze public buses.

Rumours then spread that dozens of demonstrators were killed. However, authorities insist that the troops did not cause any death.

According to one rumour, Yukon Kampanthong was a red-shirted demonstrator who died when troops tried to disperse a group she was in. The rumour even said her body was cremated at Sakhon Soonprachasan Temple in Bangkok's Lat Phrao district.

Yukon's daughter Tharawinat Mingkwankraisura, 31, yesterday dismissed the rumour as totally groundless. She said her mother had lived as a nun for more than 20 years at Thepmongkon Voraram Temple in Lop Buri before the nun became paralysed two months ago.

"She then died peacefully. Throughout her life, she had never taken part in any political rally," Tharawinat said.

This nursery teacher added that her mother's body was cremated at the Sakhon Soonprachasan Temple on Wednesday following three days funeral prayers.

Phrakhru Thammathorn Boonlua, assistant abbot at the temple, also confirmed that there was no body sent for cremation by troops.

"Perhaps the misunderstanding stemmed from the fact that troops moved into the temple during the night," the monk said, "But troops also came to position here during the coup three years ago".

The commander of the 12 th Infantry Regiment, Colonel Suriya Paowaree, said the troops moved into the temple during the night so as to avoid causing panic among locals.

At Democrat Party headquarters, Deputy Interior Minister Thaworn Senneam also dismissed a claim that up to 60 people died during the troops' operations in Bangkok.

"It's groundless," he said.