Drug war victims' kin seek redress | Bangkok Post: news

Relatives of victims of the 2004 "war on drugs" have joined with the May 1992 Network to seek government redress for the heavy-handed actions of authorities that led to the deaths and injuries of innocent civilians.

The groups made their appeal on Friday to Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung, who oversees drug suppression in the current government headed by Yingluck Shinawatra.The 2004 war on drugs, launched when Ms Yingluck's brother Thaksin was premier, was notable for a number of extrajudicial killings. Two weeks ago, three police officers in Kalasin province were sentenced to death in one such case, involving the murder of Kiattisak Thitboonkrong in 2004.Pikul Phromchan, Kiattisak's aunt, on Friday filed documents with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on behalf of the Kalasin families of six missing persons, 22 killed, and a witness (in the Kiattisak case) who was killed in a car accident of suspicious origin.Ms Pikul was initially told she would meet with Mr Chalerm but only his secretary showed up and received the information.Metha Madkao, a representative of the May 1992 Relatives Network, joined Ms Pikul in filing documents seeking remedies for families of 74 people killed and 38 missing from the violent crackdown against protests against the Suchinda Kraprayoon government in 1992.The 1992 Network last month appealed to Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit to consider a remedial package for the losses of lives from the incidents in which the authorities were involved.Meanwhile, Ms Pikul has visited several agencies to thank them for supporting her fight to bring Kiattisak's killers to justice. They included the Office of His Majesty’s Principal Private Secretary, the Office of the Attorney General, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and the Lawyers’ Council of Thailand.Ms Pikul remains concerned, however, because the DSI wants her and two other key witnesses in the Kiattisak case to agree to exit witness protection this coming Tuesday.The other witnesses are Sa Thitboonkrong, Kiattisak’s grandmother, and woman named Aranya (last name withheld) who had lent Kiattisak her mobile phone before he was taken away from prison. He was found hanged later in a hut in Roi Et."We don’t want to sign off [from witness protection], but we will have to. In the meantime, we would like to call on the Justice Ministry or other agencies to consider a replacement scheme for us,” said Ms Pikul, referring to the Witness Protection Bureau under the supervision of the Justice Ministry.The Criminal Court ruling on July 30 has been praised by regional and international NGOs. The Hong...