Forensic expert and Justice Ministry inspector-general Khunying Porntip Rojanasunan has unveiled the preliminary results of a post-mortem examination carried out on the body of Sutin Tharatin, the anti-government protest leader shot dead in eastern Bangkok on Sunday.
A candle-lit vigil is held in commemoration of anti-government protest leader Sutin Tharatin, who was gunned down in a clash outside a polling station in Bang Na. Photo by Patipat Janthong
Sutin, a core leader of the People's Democratic Force to Overthrow Thaksinism (Pefot), was shot dead in a clash outside a polling station in Bang Na, where protesters had gathered to block yesterday's advance vote in the general election.
Khunying Porntip told a news conference at Ramathibodi Hospital Monday that Sutin was shot by two bullets which left two entry and two exit wounds on his body. One bullet hit Sutin from right to left, through the armpit and out of his chest. The second pierced through his neck and exited at the base of his left ear.
The second bullet cut off his carotid artery - the major artery that supplies blood to the head and neck - and damaged his brain, causing his death.
“Both gunshots were fired upwards. The bullet entry holes are on the right side [of Sutin’s body] and made exit wounds on the left. Since no bullet fragments were left in the body, we cannot yet identify the type of the weapon used,” Khunying Porntip said, adding that more evidence must be collected from the crime scene and from witnesses.
Sutin Tharatin, the anti-government protest leader shot dead in eastern Bangkok on Sunday, was killed by two bullets from an unknown weapon.
Sutin, 52, had been protesting against yesterday's advance vote in the general election at a polling station at Wat Sri Iam in the Bang Na area at 1.45pm before he was killed.
He and 12 other protesters who were injured were on a mobile broadcasting truck when they were ambushed by armed men from both sides of the vehicle.
Tossapol Kaewthima, a Pefot committee member, who was among the protesters, said the group had successfully closed operations at the polling station.
Shortly after they left the polling station on their truck, they met with pro-election motorists who drove up to their vehicle and harangued them.
Mr Tossapol said the rival group then began to fire shots at them when the broadcasting truck reached a spot on the road next to dense vegetation.
“We ducked down on the truck floor. I remembered seeing Khun Sutin standing on the ladders between the first and the second floor of the truck, peeping up and down to check on the situation,” Mr Tossapol said.
“I could not take it anymore and ordered the driver to speed away from the scene as fast as possible. After we got about 50 metres away from the spot, the gunshots went quiet. Then someone said people had been shot and blood was all over the truck.
“We went to the nearest hospital. I looked around and saw Khun Sutin had been shot.”
Another protester Somnuek Chaisiri, 47, earlier said that at least five gunshots were fired from a group of people carrying red flags and waiting for the protesters.
Mr Tossapol said he believes the attack had been planned in advance and that the armed men had been waiting for their arrival. He added that police were near the scene but did not take any action.
Kanittha, Sutin’s wife, said she is struggling to come to terms with the loss of her husband. “On the day the emergency decree was announced, I had the feeling that the situation would become more violent but did not think something bad would happen to Sutin. I still cannot comprehend his sudden departure,” the widow said.
Niran Pitakwatchara, chairman of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)’s subcommittee on civil and political rights, who accompanied Khunying Porntip at the press conference, denounced the Wat Sri Iam shooting incident as an outrageous and grave crime that took place in broad daylight. He predicted that there will be more violence if the Sunday, Feb 2 election goes ahead to date.
He said his subcommittee had set up a panel to investigate numerous violent incidents during the anti-government protests led by the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC).
The panel will also examine government and police security measures to suppress potential violent incidents at the forthcoming election, he said.
A 52-second video clip uploaded to Youtube by user known as "peacerunning" shows wounded and frightened protesters including Sutin being driven to hospital after they were shot by unidentified gunmen in the Bang Na area on Sunday.