POST REPORTERS
National police chief Pacharawat Wongsuwan used National Police Day, yesterday, to express regret over the lethal crackdown on People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) demonstrators last Tuesday.
Pol Gen Pacharawat empathised with police officers countrywide struggling to get through "the crisis of confidence" in the force as a result of the violence.
"I would like to say I very much regret the need for police action to enable parliament to meet on Oct 7," Pol Gen Pacharawat said after laying flowers in front of the statue of King Rama IV at police headquarters.
Metropolitan Police Bureau chief Pol Lt-Gen Suchart Muankaew also apologised for the violence, which claimed two protesters' lives and left more than 400 people injured, including police.
"My morale is still good because personal feelings and duty are different.
We have to separate feelings from duty," said Pol Lt-Gen Suchart. Police were duty-bound to disperse the demonstrators that day, he said.
Amid continuing widespread condemnation of the police action, the Crime Reporters Association yesterday came out to give them encouragement.
"In a democracy, different opinions must be accepted and each party has a different duty. The police force is one of the country's mainstream institutions and has assisted Thai people for a long time," the association said in a statement.
"Sometimes mistakes can occur and they become valued lessons, and we would ask all sectors to forgive them."
The association also paid honour to Pol Capt Kitikul Boonlue, who was killed combating the insurgency in the South.
Senior officers in Trang yesterday visited Pol Lt-Col Wanna Bunchai, deputy chief of 44th Border Police Patrol Unit, now being treated in the province and praised him for his courage, as part of activities for National Police Day in Trang.
Pol Lt-Col Wanna was badly hurt when shot while on duty at a school in Yala last year.
More than 50 PAD supporters in Trang appeared in black with yellow headbands. They placed a wreath with the words "For the national police office, which killed people," in front of Trang police headquarters.
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