A member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said yesterday that he expected its investigation into the recent political violence to be completed within four months.
In the meantime, the government said it needed more time to nominate members to an independent committee that will investigate the political turmoil, leading to riots and several fatalities.
NHRC member Paiboon Warahapaitoon said the committee planned to take four months to finish the investigation but if it could not find enough evidence, the deadline could be extended.
The NHRC will file complaints on behalf of parties that have suffered damages against those responsible for the government crackdown on protesters after it completes its investigation, sources said.
The NHRC had earlier appointed a special committee for the investigation, to be chaired by NHRC chairman Amara Pongsapit. The NHRC committee would probe into the circumstances behind the violence on April 10 at Kok Wua intersection, the violence on April 28 at the National Memorial in Don Muang, the shooting of grenades from M79 launchers on Silom Road and the crowd dispersal on May 19.
Paiboon, who was former secretary-general to the Office of the Constitution Court, has been assigned to sit on the committee as he would be qualified to work on the legal issues and the complaints. The 2007 Constitution empowers the NHRC to file a complaint on behalf of the damaged parties.
PM's Deputy Secretary-General Panitan Wattanayakorn said the government was stilling working on the structure of the fact-finding panel to probe the violence in April and May. He said the government would not make the decision over who would chair the panel and who would be the panel members. An independent committee will be responsible for making these decisions.
He dismissed speculation that the red shirts would reject the panel formed by the government. He said the government would not get involved in choosing individuals as panel members but people in the structure would bring in people from various sectors to help reflect different shades of opinion.
He said the government had made progress in the five-point reconciliation plan that included amending the charter and reforming the media. The PM is expected to get information from those involved next week.
He added the government would determine the date of the general election after it sees progress in the reconciliation plan to a level that would ensure confidence that there would not be violence before and after the general election.
Meanwhile, Sunai Pasuk, Thailand representative of US-based Human Rights Watch, said if facts behind the clashes between security forces and the anti-government protesters are not properly disclosed and accepted, the red-shirt demonstrators would return to the streets.
Sunai said a representative of Human Rights Watch from the group's headquarters would cooperate with the NHRC in investigating the incidents related to the violent clashes. The protest ended on May 19 after key red-shirt leaders surrendered to authorities, but which were followed by massive burnings of buildings, looting and rioting in central Bangkok.
The facts must be disclosed and they will reflect as a mirror for both sides to see "who had done what" during the unrest, said Sunai.
He said if the real facts behind the violence were not disclosed or accepted then the red-shirt protesters would "return to the streets and this time more violence could be expected as they would want to take revenge".