An adviser to the Central Islamic Committee of Thailand (CICOT) yesterday called for retrials of insurgents or sympathisers in the South whose convictions were based on initial screenings by the GT200 explosives scanner.
Assoc Prof Jaral Maluleem said a scientific test proving the failings of the controversial device would mean all prosecutions and convictions relying on GT200 verification were in violation of human rights. He called on the military and the authorities to offer compensatory damages.
The Cross Cultural Foundation based in the deep South, said more than 4,000 people had been classified sympathisers since 2007 as a result of initial evidence based on GT200 scan results. The device was widely used in searches and raids by security officials on local communities. Most detainees were held automatically for a 37day period or underwent fourmonth forcedrehabilitation courses.
Foundation director Phornphen Khongkajornkiat called on the government to set up an independent committee to investigate complaints lodged by those believed wrongfully detained or convicted, in order to pay them compensation. "There are also 500 inmates convicted and imprisoned for securityrelated incidents, who could also be innocent," she added.
National Human Rights Commission member Wanchai Srinualnat said he welcomed requests for investigation from those convicted on GT200 evidence, and that from now on its use would be regarded a clear violation of human rights after scientific tests had proved it ineffective.
He said military personnel who used the device had no intention of violating human rights. "They had used it in the belief it worked efficiently - but it's a different story if they still use the GT200, after the test result showing its inefficacy," he added.
Dr Phetdao Tohmeena, a senior government psychiatrist based in three southern provinces, expressed sympathy for military personnel operating the GT200 scanner, saying they faced criticism from the public in the South and suffered from lowered morale, thinking their lives depended on an unreliable device.
