Yala- To compromise with the Prime Minister, Army chief Anupong Paochinda said yesterday he would limit use of the GT200 bomb detector only to locating explosive substances and not as a scanner to sniff suspects' bodies as done previously.
The operators also must be careful, as the equipment is not so accurate in indicating bombs, Anupong told reporters in the southernmost Yala province where he flew together with Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban on an inspection tour.
The expensive GT200 bomb detector failed to pass scientific tests last week. Its performance was equivalent to what might be detected by chance.
"As the performance of the equipment is questionable so the operators should be more careful," Anupong said.
Anupong softened his stance on the device after his first tough reaction to the scientific test result, when he called his men to a press conference on Thursday to insist that the dowsing rod worked very effectively.
PM FIRM
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva made clear his stance earlier not to buy more of the devices and instructed all government agencies to review the operation of such equipment. The equipment seemed to mislead officials into risky situations if they relied too much on the device, he said.
If it was used for scanning substances in a human body, it was a kind of human rights violation, he said.
The ineffective GT200 was misused for years in the restive south since it was fully commissioned in 2007. Some officials used the equipment as a lie detector to prove suspects had contact with explosive substance, local residents said.
Abdullah from Narathiwat said he and his colleagues were called to line up for a GT200 scan in April 2008. Those whom the GT200 antenna pointed at were arrested on the accusation of having been in contact with explosive substances, he said.
"Four of my friends have been in detention from then until now. I don't know their whereabouts, as we have never met since then. I understand they are still under detention," he said.
Officials said the men might have been involved in bomb-making or planting, as the GT200 indicated they had contact with explosive substances, he said.
