SA KAEO: Police in Aranyaprathet district of this eastern province launched an anti-crime campaign targeting young people after a woman's murder, allegedly by a gang of teenagers whose members included the sons of two local police officers.
Pol Maj Gen Theerachai Chamnanmor, investigative commander of Provincial Police Region 2, went to the Aranyaprathet police station on Saturday night to launch the campaign.
The campaign was ordered by national police chief Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol after the murder of a 47-year-old woman in Aranyaprathet in the early morning of Jan 12. The suspected murderers were boys aged 13-16 and two of them were allegedly sons of local policemen. The victim was reportedly mentally unstable.
On Saturday night, Pol Maj Gen Theerachai urged Aranyaprathet police to be dedicated to their duties and responsibilities to restore their image.
He relayed the national police chief's order for police to enforce laws and regulations concerning the behaviours of the young. They included action against drug abuse and illegal sales of alcoholic beverages to minors, especially at night, to prevent a recurrence of the Jan 12 incident.
Aranyaprathet police were also instructed to pay closer attention to homeless people in their area.
The body of Buaphan Tansu, the 47-year-old woman, was found in a pond near a school in Aranyaprathet on Jan 12. Police initially had her 54-year-old husband, Panya Khongsaenkham, as the sole suspect because they said he confessed to the crime.
CCTV footage revealed later showed that the five teenage boys were behind behind the murder. Buaphan was allegedly being harassed and attacked by the five teenagers riding on two motorcycles.
The footage showed that after a row, she threw a bottle at them, after which they might have assaulted her.
The woman's husband, Panya, later admitted that a group of policemen tortured and forced him to confess to the killing. He was chained and his head was covered with a bag during the process.