Carry on hunting: perps offer comic relief

Carry on hunting: perps offer comic relief

Officials inspect the scene where poaching took place in Sai Yok National Park in Kanchanaburi. Bangkok Post
Officials inspect the scene where poaching took place in Sai Yok National Park in Kanchanaburi. Bangkok Post

Despite the messiness in Thai politics and society, we have to admit that it has constantly provided moments of comic relief to give us some laughs.

I'm sure the photo of Gen Prawit Wongsuwon shielding the sun from his eyes with his hand has left quite an impression, as reflections from his diamond ring and luxury watch seemed to emit more energy than the sun itself.

It turned out he was in possession of more than one luxury watch -- more than 20 in fact, something that piqued the public's curiosity no end.

The general's response to the question of how he acquired so many expensive timepieces on his modest official salary must go down in history as the most imaginatively laughable answer.

His official answer is that he borrowed them from a good friend. This friend, however, has conveniently passed away.

The investigation into this matter by the country's graft buster was equally comical. It has taken the National Counter-Corruption Commission more than eight months to tell the public that it is still awaiting responses from the watch manufacturers as to the origins of the watches.

It's pretty certain that this case will bring more laughs as corruption investigators try to resolve the mystery surrounding the watches.

In the most recent case that has generated massive public interest, the suspects in the killing and butchering of a binturong, or bearcat, in Sai Yok National Park in Kanchanaburi came up with a pretty hilarious excuse for possessing the remains of the animal.

The main suspects -- Watcharachai Sameerak, assistant district officer of Dan Makham Tia, and a volunteer -- denied they took part in the killing of the tree-dwelling Asian civet, which is a protected species.

They were just returning from a merit-making trip at a forest temple when they ran into a villager who sold them the carcass, they told officials.

But among the objects found in their vehicles was a rifle equipped with a silencer, pistols, knives, a chopping block, pots and pans.

I don't know. Do people usually carry weapons when they go merit-making?

But these guys told the interrogating officers with almost a straight face that the gear found in their vehicles was meant for cooking at the temple. I had to laugh. Did they really think people would be fooled by such boldfaced lies?

Now they have changed their story. It was a Myanmar migrant who shot the animal. They just lent the man their rifle. Hilarious.

What hunters would allow other people to use their guns to hunt? I know, that's the point. They don't want to be charged with illegal hunting.

I think they have learned an important lesson from a more famous case of wildlife hunting early this year. The lesson is: Keep denying your alleged crime and you have a chance to evade justice.

In that case, construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta was arrested for slaughtering a black panther as well as an assortment of other wild animals in Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary.

Despite being found at a jungle camp with the carcasses of the animals and high-power riles, he has been adamant that he was not involved in the hunting.

Come on. If I pay people to take me to a jungle and bring my hunting rifles with me, would I rather be just a spectator?

You have to shake your head and laugh at these kinds of ridiculous excuses. But that's the name of the game. As long as you keep denying the charges and make the investigators work hard for evidence, you have a chance to walk free.

It helps, too, if you have billions of baht at your discretion to spend and clout among government leaders, especially if one of them is a deputy police chief supervising the investigation of your alleged crime.

Initially, people cried with disbelief when the police paid more attention to interrogating park officials who made the arrests than the accused themselves.

Afterward, they couldn't help but laugh when eventually the deputy police chief met the tycoon. They were so amicable to each other you'd think they were two long-time friends meeting for coffee.

A news clip that went viral showed Pol Gen Srivara Ransibrahmanakul greeting Mr Premchai with a wai and a deep bow, a gesture usually reserved for a more senior and respected person.

The scene may be laughable, but it's really not funny. The public was left with the impression that Thai police are in a habit of giving favours to people with money and clout rather than ensuring justice for all.

Even though Mr Premchai's case is going through the legal system, many people believe he will eventually just get a slap on the wrist.

That belief, whether justifiable or not, has also been extended to the binturong case.

Public scepticism is widespread as to whether the police are capable of dispensing impartial justice.

And who can blame them when the quality of police work in many cases has been found to be lacking, even questionable?

The danger here is that such a negative view of the police, who are the front line of the justice system, would find its way to infect all organs of the system. And this is not funny at all.


Wasant Techawongtham is a former news editor, Bangkok Post.

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