Drama likely to feature in censure debate today
Conflicting accounts about the shooting of people at Wat Pathum Wanaram suggests it could take some time before it's known who is responsible for the mysterious deaths of six people inside the temple on May 19 after troops cleared redshirt protesters out of the Rajprasong intersection.
The deaths at the temple, which was meant to be a site of refuge, could be a hot issue during the no confidence debate in Parliament today and tomorrow.
Kittichai Khangkhan, a 43yearold Khon Kaen resident, insists he saw a group of men wearing jackets that looked like soldiers' uniforms on the Skytrain railway line in front of the temple - and that the men fired intensively at people in the supposed "safe zone" at 6pm on May 19.
"I am 100 per cent sure that I saw the trajectory of bullets fired from the group of men stationed on the Skytrain railway line," Kittichai said.
He was among the demonstrators who had to get away from the bullets. He hid himself behind a pickup truck, parked near the temple wall, along with some others. But he could not escape from the shooting. As he was bleeding, the mysterious men called out for them to leave the hiding place. A few minutes later, he decided to leave but another bullet hit his body.
"I was really scared," he said. "It was a shower of bullets. They were firing at us," he said.
He decided to move further to a nearby medical tent. As he received first aid from a volunteer nurse, another round of shots started, this time targeted at the tent. The nurse taking care of his wounds was hit, as well as a foreigner sitting beside him.
He collapsed soon after that and did not regain consciousness till three hours later when a team of medics from outside managed to get into the temple and rescue the wounded.
The Thai Red Cross Society's Relief and Community Health Bureau later confirmed that five men were injured during the attack. Two of them were sent to Central Hospital and the other three taken to Ramathibhodi Hospital, including British reporter Andrew Buncombe.
According to the National Institute of Emergency Medical Service, the sixday operation by the Centre for Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) to clear rioting protesters and reclaim the Rajprasong rally site left 467 people injured and 56 dead, two of whom were paramedics.
All up, some 88 people were killed and 1,885 injured from the start of the redshirt protest in midMarch.
After the release of some photos showing soldiers in front of the temple, Lt General Daopong Ratanasuwan, the Army's assistant chief of staff for operations, said troops from the 1st Division, the King's Guard, were stationed at Siam BTS Station on May 19. They were ordered not to move closer to the temple, which was about 300 metres away. He insisted the troops were at the spot all night and entered the temple the following morning (May 20) to help police send demonstrators back home.
While saying the incident would be investigated, he questioned whether the shots were fired from somewhere else or if the shooting came from someone inside the temple.
Meanwhile, CRES officials said unidentified snipers were active around Rajprasong, and obstructed security operations. Spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said unidentified snipers were responsible for deaths at the temple.
CRES director Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban later assured the public that the government would not stay idle. It was collecting evidence relating to the temple deaths.
"The government will speak about this case when we have complete information," he said. He even said men on the Skytrain line could be thieves, as security officers were not able to enter Siam Square station on May 19. Officers were only stationed at Sala Daeng and Ploenchit stations, he said.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said autopsies would reveal clues about how people died.
But it appears that autopsy reports won't be ready in time for censure debate today and tomorrow. The Opposition plans to present video clips, which show different scenes from what CRES has, along with other evidence, as it believes the government should be responsible for the deaths.
Political gains or losses could hinge on the outcome of arguments about this incident. And relatives of the dead and the injured will be listening carefully to all the questions and answers about the incident.