Police to probe 9 more 2010 deaths

The Department of Special Investigation has decided to get the Metropolitan Police Bureau to look into the deaths of nine more "victims" during the 2010 crackdown.

DSI director-general Tarit Pengdith said these nine new cases would increase the number of people allegedly killed by troops by up to 36.

He said three new cases had already been submitted to the Metropolitan Police and another six would be handed in later this week. Of the 36, 19 cases have been submitted by the public prosecutors to the Criminal Court to determine the cause of death, Tarit said.

He added that the court would make a ruling on one of the 19 cases on September 17, the one about the death of red-shirt protester Phan Khamkong.

Tarit said this ruling was crucial because it would set the direction on how the DSI builds its main case on the crackdown.

He explained that once the court rules on who is responsible for the protester's death, the DSI could then decide on who it should sue and whether the defendants should face murder charges.

The nine new victims include Pornsawan Nakhachai and Mana Saenprasertsri, who were killed at about 3pm on May 15, 2010, on Rama IV Road, and Sergeant Pongchalit Pitthayanonkarn, who was killed at 1am on May 17 outside the Bangkok Bank head office on Silom Road.

Also to be investigated are the deaths of Somsak Silarak, Piyapong Kittiwong and Prachuap Silarak, killed at about 5pm on May 14 at Lumpini Park as well as Narin Srichomphu, killed at 11.10am on May 19 also at Lumpini Park.

The cases of Thawil Khammon and an unidentified man who were killed at about 10am on May 19 outside Chulalongkorn Hospital will also be studied.

Meanwhile, former deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugusban called on the DSI to not distort facts when concluding its investigation into the 91 deaths and announce the results to the public.

Suthep said the DSI has already sent the case of 26 suspected terrorists to court so if it distorted the information in its new investigation then this information would contradict the DSI's own investigation results.