DSI to check on containers

The team will inspect the sites next Monday.

The move came after a growing number of people began to link the mysterious containers to the reported discovery of human skulls around the areas over many years.

The Relatives Committee of the May 1992 Heroes yesterday called on Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to help find out who skulls found around Samaesarn Bay near Sattahip belonged to.

The May 1992 Heroes were people "lost" - believed to have been killed - in prodemocracy demonstrations in Bangkok 17 years ago. Dozens of protesters were unaccounted for after the bloody crackdown took place.

Abhisit said yesterday he had already talked to relevant authorities, including the Central Institute of Forensic Science, about the case.

"We will look into all clues and tipsoff," the premier said. 

Asked whether the Royal Thai Navy would play a role in the probe, Abhisit said: "No, there is no need to involve the Royal Thai Navy at this point."

He said he had been told the human skulls might be related to deaths connected to humantraffick¬ing rings.

Pol Col Weerasak Meenakanit, now assigned to work at DSI, said he heard of the mysterious containers in late 2007.

"Last year, a team of divers checked on the sites but found nothing abnor¬mal. Although some human skulls and skeletons were found nearby, it's not something unusual given that some fishermen might have drowned there," Weerasak said.

He said the team stopped checking the containers further because the mission required a lot of funds.

Meanwhile, Lt Gen Thangai Prassachaksattru, commissioner of the Thai Police's Central Investigation Bureau, noted separately that retriev¬ing the containers could cost millions of baht.

"If we can find the owners of the containers and know that there is no illicit items in them, we may not need to retrieve them," he said.

Thangai said a team from his bureau went to Sattahip yesterday but bad weather hindered the operation.

"We have to wait for the weather to improve first," he said.