Group wants perpetrators of human rights abuses to be prosecuted
Rights group Amnesty Inter-national yesterday called on Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to ensure an independent and impartial investigation into recent unrest and to lift the state of emergency immediately.
Abhisit has commissioned an inquiry led by a former attorney-general into the loss of 90 lives after recent clashes between armed troops and anti-government red-shirt demonstrators.
"Independence is of paramount importance to any investigation's credibility," wrote Amnesty's acting secretary-general Claudio Cordone, saying the probe should be free from affiliation with either side in the clashes.
"The investigation must also be impartial, including alleged human rights abuses by both sides."
The red-shirt rally, broken up on May 19 after an Army crackdown on their vast camp in the centre of Bangkok, sparked outbreaks of violence that also left nearly 1,900 people injured.
Kanit na Nakorn, leading the investigation, has said his aim was to establish facts rather than responsibility.
But Amnesty's letter urged the probe to be conducted with the view "to initiating prosecutions against alleged perpetrators of human rights abuses", which it said were clearly committed by both security forces and protesters.
The government has defended the use of armed troops, saying they were only authorised to fire live ammunition as warning shots, in self-defence or against "terrorists" whom it has accused of inciting the unrest.
Abhisit has voiced plans to have a red-shirt sympathiser on the inquiry panel to ensure confidence in its neutrality, but the main opposition party has warned of a likely "whitewash", saying Kanit was too close to the government.
A two-month-old emergency decree, in place across about a third of Thailand, could hinder accountability by conferring immunity on officials for certain acts committed in the course of their duties, according to Amnesty.
Meanwhile, Thailand's Depart-ment of Special Investigation (DSI) is preparing special legislation to grant clemency to thousands of red-shirt protesters who violated the emergency degree but did not commit serious offences. The move is designed to boost social harmony under the government's reconciliation plan.
DSI chief Tharit Pengdit said the Centre for Resolution of the Emergency Situation had instructed the department to work on the special bill so that people who violated the emergency decree - which has been in place for the past two months - by joining red-shirt rallies could avoid punishment.
People convicted of violating the emergency decree can face up to two years in jail.
Tharit said thousands broke the decree by joining the red-shirt rallies but had not been charged, while some had already been prosecuted.
amnesty law
The DSI would team up with the Council of State to appoint a panel to study drawbacks and advantages of the amnesty law.
"This is a move to bring about national reconciliation," he said.
He said if the special law that gave clemency to the protesters was passed by Parliament, those being punished for joining the rallies but did not commit serious offences would be released from custody immediately.
In a related development, Pheu Thai Party MP and red-shirt leader Jatuporn Promphan challenged Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban to take a vow at Wat Phra Kaew and swear that the government had not ordered the hunting down of red-shirt guards and leaders, following the death of three red shirts after the epic protest ended.
He was reacting to news of the death of Saknarin Kongkaew, or Uan Buayai, a Nakhon Ratchasima red-shirt leader. Jatuporn said two other red shirts had been found dead - one in Nakhon Phanom and the other in Pattaya.
Suthep strongly denied the government was behind the murder of the "hardcore red" in Nakhon Ratcha-sima, saying the government was trying to uphold law. He accused the red shirts of mudslinging over the matter.
Deputy Interior Minister Boonjong Wongtrairat insisted the government did not have a policy to order the killing of red-shirt guards or leaders. He said the ministry had instructed provincial governors, especially in the North and Northeastern provinces to help solve problems of people who joined the rallies.
"Officials will check which village they live in and what their occupation is and what their grievances are before they offer them the help they want," he said.