Editorial: Yasothon incident an utter disgrace

Officers' failure to act as one of their own was beaten at a police station shows the power of 'dark influences'

It would have been beyond belief in many countries, but what happened at a Yasothon a police station a few days ago represents so much that is true about Thailand's law-enforcers and "dark influences". According to news reports, a local godfather and his men stormed into the station after his son had allegedly been assaulted by one of the officers. That officer reportedly was made to prostrate himself before the man but was still beaten unconscious by the gang while two of his supervisors looked on. After an uproar in the media, four senior police officers in the northeastern province, including the provincial chief, were transferred to inactive posts.

There were two sides to the story regarding what had happened. The man who sparked the controversy, Sathiraporn Naksuk, president of the Yasothon Provincial Administration Organisation (PAO), claimed the assaulted officer had slapped his son during a minor incident at a concert. The officer, Sergeant Athit Daengdee, insisted he had not mistreated the teenager, although some witnesses claimed there could have been physical contact as a result of a scuffle.

No matter what actually happened during the concert, what followed was an absolute disgrace. Athit was reportedly made to apologise to Sathiraporn in the most humiliating way, yet followers of the Yasothon PAO chief kicked him senseless in full view of the policeman's supervisors. The incident triggered a protest by scores of police officers on Wednesday, touching off a wider reaction in the media and throughout society. Officials at national police headquarters took action on Thursday, and one doubts whether they would have reacted had it not been for the protest and public outcry.

It's not every day that police are at the wrong end of abuse, yet what happened in Yasothon is symptomatic of the malaise plaguing one of Thailand's weakest and most corrupt institutions. The action taken by Sathiraporn and his men, while undoubtedly a gesture of extreme hostility towards the police, also underlines deep-rooted close relations between law-enforcement and "influential people", some of whom operate outside the realm of the law.

We see all the "extremes" in this case. A police assault on an innocent pedestrian would have gone unreported and unnoticed. Within more just law-enforcement systems, charges would have been filed to protect that citizen's rights and punish the wrongdoers. We can't expect that to happen in Thailand, where just a few years ago thousands of suspected drug-peddlers were shot dead in a sweeping campaign against the amphetamine trade.

Men like Sathiraporn could have filed charges, but he chose to take matters into his own hands. Yet while we were amazed by his audacity, we were more dumbfounded by the action - or non-action to be exact - of the assaulted officer's supervisors. Were they afraid of Sathiraporn? Why? Or did they owe him some gratitude? If so, why? But the most relevant question is the one which has been asked resoundingly: if a policeman whose duty is to maintain public order and suppress crime is beaten unconscious at his own station by thugs, who can members of the public rely on for their safety?

If Sathiraporn deserves to be punished to the fullest extent of the law for assaulting a police officer and trampling upon the dignity of the police force as a whole, how should Athit's supervisors be penalised? If we are correct about the depths to which the police institution has sunk, here is what is going to happen: the PAO chief will escape legal action, and Athit's bosses will remain on the force, the dignity of which they have failed utterly to protect, and it will be business as usual as soon as the public's attention subsides and the media's focus turns elsewhere.

No matter how many senior officials try to portray this incident as an exception, there's no escaping the fact that it's nothing but the tip of the iceberg. And no matter how outraged the public may feel, there is little doubt in the minds of the people that something nastier must be going on somewhere else. A police officer may have been the one on the receiving end this time round, but the force may have brought it upon itself. A system with any semblance of integrity would have held the likes of Sathiraporn back. The Yasothon incident, on the other hand, is a desperate cry for help from a system in a coma.

Acting Yasothon police chief vow to clean up dark influence

YASOTHON - A suspect in the assault of a police officer, who confessed to kicking the sergeant senseless "to repay a favour", is wanted for a drug-related case in his home province, police said Saturday.

Vowing to crack down on local influential figures and to restore police's dignity and morale, Colonel Sommai Kongwisaisuk, acting provincial police commander, said he was not afraid and would order investigations into any officer allegedly under the influence of Sathiraporn Naksuk, president of the Yasothon Provincial Administration Organisation.

The police investigation has found that Wiroj Jaiphrommuang, 29, was wanted for a drug-related case in Samut Prakan's Phra Pradaeng district, Sommai said, adding that he would squeeze Wiroj into elaborating on his comment of beating up Sergeant Athit Daengdee on behalf of someone else.

Sommai said two committees were set to investigate if supervisors at Muang Yasothon Police Station allowed the assault to take place without acting against the aggressors, as well as to see if PAO president Sathiraporn's claim of not knowing the two assault suspects was true.

If Sathiraporn were behind the attack, he would be regarded as a dark force, not just an influential figure, he said.

Muang Yasothon police had interviewed six witnesses but did not summon Sathiraporn's side, as police could not contact him yet, he said.

Maj-Gen Amnuay Mahapol, deputy commissioner of Provincial Police Region 3, said he believes Yasothon had had no influential figures, only thugs. He would instruct all police to watch that these gangsters do not cause trouble, especially during the upcoming general election.

Many well-wishers continued to show their support for recuperating Athit.

The case drew public attention after Wednesday's protest by 100 police who were outraged over Athit's assault and his supervisors' inaction. The assault allegedly took place as Athit was apologising to Sathiraporn for reportedly slapping his teenage son's face during a concert on the night of September 1.

Abac Poll director Noppadol Kannikar said a recent survey of people in Provincial Police Regions 8 and 9 found that most agreed with the senior police officers' transfers following the Yasothon assault and nearly all wanted police to maintain their integrity and ensure justice for all.

The poll also covered local police and 69 per cent said they had problems with policies, as they were not in line with supervisors in the past 12 months. And 86 per cent said insufficient budgets were the main obstacle to their work.

Most approved of the police reform plan especially the decentralisation of command, while slightly over half agreed with the prime minister acting as the chairman of the national police policy board, but 30 per cent said otherwise.

2,000 Suvarnhabumi residents hold rally

Residents around Suvarnabhumi airport affected by noise pollution are still pressing ahead with calls for the Airports of Thailand to come to their plight.

Some 2,000 people gathered at Moo Baan Ruamrudi in Lad Krabang district of Samut Prakarn province to pressure authorities to disburse the financial compensation promised to them.

Wearing hats with a picture of balloons and two planes colliding, the residents threatened to release balloons to cause disruption to air traffic if their calls were not answered.

100 police officers have been dispatched around Suvarnabhumi airport in the possible case that the protesters decide to march to the airport during the rally.

Official Airport Taxi Scam

I guess the official airport taxi desk outside the arrival area on the lower level is not entirely scam free. A few weeks ago, I exited the airport, went up to the desk, and gave the guy (an older guy with glasses) the name of my mid-Sukhumvit Hotel. He then said what I thought was "You pay driver 40 baht." I thought he was talking about the toll or the airport surcharge and I didn't pay much attention, I just said "OK."

He directed me to a driver, who had a small SUV cab, not a corolla. Interestingly, the driver seemed a little reluctant to give me my portion of the ticket bck (with the driver's info on it), I had to ask him a couple of times for it.

We started to pull out of the airport, meter off. I asked him to put on the meter, and he said I had agreed with the desk guy to pay him 400 baht. I never meant to do that, I must have just misheard the guy. I told the guy I wasn't paying 400 baht, just to let me out. He said OK, if I would give him back the ticket with his info. I said no, I was getting out with the ticket. He then agreed to use to meter, BUT he was really angry about it, claiming that he had "big car" and that I had agreed to pay 400.

Ultimately I gave him 350 on arrival at destination, which I think was more than fair, but it's interesting that the airport metered taxi desk is apparently now steering people to non-metered cars and brokering off-meter deals.

The other moral to this story is to always get the ticket with the driver's info. He seemed legitimately worried about me exitng the cab with the ticket for his failure to use the meter and then presumably lodging a complaint.

Airport protesters 'won't release balloons'

Residents from 32 housing estates who are being affected from noise pollution at Suvarnabhumi airport Saturday pledged not to release balloons to disrupt air traffic at the airport on Sunday.Prasert Boonkaew, leader of local residents from the 32 housing estates, said leaders of the residents would hold a meeting, starting from 9.09 am Sunday, to discuss what problems had been solved by Airports of Thailand (AoT) for the residents during the past 11 months. Residents leaders will also discuss whether the contracts signed earlier with AoT are fair to the residents, said Mr. Prasert, adding that he could not say whether the disgruntled residents would move and surround the airport after the meeting. He said the residents had agreed with the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand, under the supervision of the Transport Ministry, not to release balloons as they realised that such action would endanger air traffic.The local residents want concerned government agencies to honour last year's November 21 Cabinet resolution and want the AoT to adjust the flight timetable by having commercial airliners refrain from landing or take-off during night-time like some countries which would not disturb their sleep. (TNA)

Petitioner's village in Beijing to be demolished

BEIJING (AP) -- A rights group urged Beijing authorities Thursday to scrap their plan to tear down a settlement where thousands of aggrieved citizens from around the country stay while appealing to the central government for help.
Justice seekers from all over China crowd into the neighborhood of dilapidated single-story homes in southern Beijing's Fengtai district, drawn by the cheap rent and close proximity to the State Council petition office, which lies just across a highway.
They stay for weeks and sometimes months at a time, cooking on hot plates and sharing an outhouse with hundreds of others, while petitioning the central government for help in fighting local corruption or other abuses.
On Thursday, large printed notices could be seen plastered on walls in the neighborhood informing local residents that they had to leave by noon on Sept. 19. The notices said the demolition was being done to make way for a road leading to the capital's south train station.
The New York-based group Human Rights Watch said in a statement that up to 4,000 people would be affected. It said the demolition was being done in order to clean up the city ahead of a twice-a-decade Communist Party congress in mid-October that will renew President Hu Jintao's mandate and set policy for the next five years.
"Petitioners are some of China's most vulnerable citizens, and they have a right to housing while they pursue their legal claims," Sophie Richardson, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. "Demolishing the Fengtai settlement only adds insult to injury."
Local residents said they expected to be compensated but the petitioners, because most of them rent, likely have no right to compensation without a lease or rental contract.
Several petitioners said the demolition will make it difficult to stay in Beijing because other districts are too expensive or prohibitively far from the petition office.
"If the petition village is demolished, I won't have anywhere to go and will have to live on the street," said Ma Xuecheng, a 54-year-old petitioner from north China's Shenyang city in Liaoning province.
A court ruled in 1999 that Ma was wrongly convicted of badly beating a man after he had already served seven months in jail. He is seeking compensation and social security from the government.
The number of petitioners in the district had been expected to swell in the run-up to next month's party Congress. People often come to Beijing at times of big political events in the hope they can gain more attention for their plight.
A woman with the local Fengtai government, who gave only her surname Wang, said residents would be compensated, but did not give specific details.
China's petition system dates back thousands of years and is designed to allow ordinary people to raise formal grievances.
"I'll die of anger if I just give up and go back to home," said Fang Shihua, a 52-year-old petitioner from north China's Jiamusi city in Heilongjiang province. She and her 30-year-old son, who has cancer, have been living in the settlement for a year and don't know where they will go after Sept. 19.
Fang claims corrupt officials at the sugar factory where she used to work have not paid her the back salary she is owed or provided medical insurance or unemployment benefits. She also said she was beaten for reporting on local corruption.
"This place is no kind of home," said Fang, gesturing to the 3 meter by 1.5 meter (10 by 5 foot) room she now shares with her son and a huge pile of trash just outside the door. "What a place here. But still we hope for a fair resolution."

KTAM's president loses his job

Sripop contract ended after firm hit by investment in bills of exchange

The Picnic Corp scandal has claimed another victim. Sripop Sararas, president and CEO of Krung Thai Asset Management (KTAM), has had his employment contract terminated by KTAM, effective from August 16, due to the damage suffered from the company's investment in Picnic's bills of exchange.Yesterday, a letter dated August 15 from the company's board to Sripop, which indicates the decision to terminate his job, was circulated to the media. The person who sent the letter to the media is unknown."I don't want to give any comment at the moment," Sripop said when contacted yesterday by telephone.He reportedly has close connections with the former chairman of Krung Thai Bank, Viroj Nualkhair, as both had been in the management at now-defunct Phatra Thanakit. The securities business of the company has been separated and renamed Phatra Securities.Krung Thai Bank president Apisak Tantivorawong, when asked about Sripop's job termination, said members of KTAM's board would be best placed to comment about the matter.However, KTAM chairman Krairit Euchukanonchai could not be reached for comment yesterday.During April and May, KTAM set up an examination committee to probe KTAM's investment in Picnic's bills of exchange worth about Bt500 million, carried out under Sripop's management. The company suffered from the late payment and default by Picnic and has so far received only Bt200 million in payments from Picnic.According to the letter, the board said Sripop had not followed the board's resolution, regulations, company policies and had not kept the company's interest in mind. It said Sripop had insulted, condemned and defamed his superiors, which was a criminal offence. Such actions, the board said in the letter, had violated the company's rules and discipline, and also broken the employment contract and caused damage to the company. Therefore, the company had decided to cease his employment according to Section 6.1 of the employment contract, with Sripop having no right to claim any compensation from the company.On August 15, the board of directors unanimously agreed to terminate Sripop's job contract dated September 29, 2003. The resolution took effect on August 16.In addition, KTAM's board demanded that Sripop pay the company compensation of Bt2.98 million together with interest of 7.5 per cent per annum counted from the day the company was damaged. Payment must be made within 30 days from August 15. Sripop also has to pay for any damages the company suffers in the future.Sripop was also ordered to submit a resignation letter as a director of the company on August 16, otherwise he must be held responsible for all damages that the company incurs. The letter was signed by Danucha Yindeepit and Preeda Laocharoenwong, the company's authorised directors.Aside from KTAM, other asset-management firms have also suffered from the default of Picnic's bills of exchange.Aberdeen Asset Management has received only Bt3 million out of total debts of Bt50 million, while Krung Thai Asset Management, which has won two out of 11 civil cases it filed against Picnic, is owed Bt370 million. The other creditor is Finansa, which is owed Bt90 million. Picnic has delayed payment and defaulted on its bills since early 2005. Three other firms - Ayudhya JF Asset Management, whose name was changed to Ayudhya Fund Management (AYF) last year, UOB Asset Management (Thai) (UOBAM) and Tisco Asset Management - were all affected by the delayed payment. However, debts of Bt500 million due to AYF, Bt100 million to UOBAM and Bt5 million to Tisco were all cleared as the bills of these three asset-management firms came due prior to the others.