An account of Thai army brutality.Before being arrested by the Thai Army for violating Thailand’s draconian State of Emergency (SOE) Surachai Petploy (29), a father of two small children (6 and 3 yrs old) was a resident of Bangkok’s Soi Wataphaitayaran (Soi Rajvithi 14) and worked as fruit seller.
Surachai stated that his brother-in-law was a hardcore Red Shirts supporter who often went to demonstrate at Ratchaprasong area and always came back with stories of what was happening there. Surachai also stated he occasional joined the demonstration but never stayed overnight. He completely agreed with the issue of “double-standards” vis-a-vis the treatment of people from different political backgrounds an issue which was being raised by the Red Shirts.
Witsanu Kamonman (19), whose parents both passed away when he was young, lives with his uncle also in Soi Wataphaitayaran (Soi Rajvithi 14). Wisanu stated that even though they lived on the same street Surachai and he didn't know each other until they were arrested.
Witsanu was arrested around 4-5pm on May 15th 2010. On the day he was arrested, he heard shots and the sound of bombs exploding sometime before 1pm. As he was curious he left his house to find out the cause of the noise. Witsanu stated he wasn't sure if he can say that he is a Red Shirt or not because he went to join the Red Shirts demonstration with his neighbours more out of curiosity than political interest.
Surachai stated he was arrested by the army around 4-5pm May 15th 2010. Before he was arrested, at about noon, he heard loud shots and bomb explosions from his house and so went with his other Red Shirt friend to the Din Deang triangle. He saw an army truck on fire and there were 200-300 protesters around that area; none of them wore red shirts. They were discussing and finding a way to rescue the wounded soldiers who were lying down on Ratchapralop Rd. near Soi Rangnum.
Surachai states from where he stood, he didn't see any injured people or soldiers as it was too far away.
A group of protesters who were gathering near the Police Box at Din Deang triangle area then used tyres to form a barricade to shield them from the army bullets. Then they moved forward in an attempt to get the injuired out. Surachai, Witsanu and 40-50 protesters began moving the barricade towards the direction of Soi Rangnum - a kind of moving shield. Other protesters were also driving a yellow-coloured BMA truck. Surachai states the army didn't shoot at the protesters at all at that time.
It took them about 15 minutes to move the barricade about 100m forward. But when they arrived level with a petrol station, the solders who were positioned at bridge suddenly started shooting at them. Surachai stated he can’t remember exactly which petrol station it was - probably ESSO or Shell. The bridge where the soldiers were positioned was 100m away from them and Surachai couldn't see how many soldiers were there since the bridge was covered with green and black coloured nets.
When the soldiers began shooting the protesters scattered and looked for safe places to hide. Surachai and Witsanu stated that the protesters were unarmed and only looking for safe places to hide. Some of them were hiding in gas station and some were hiding behind the BMA truck which was parked in the middle of the road.
Witsanu stated the soldiers were shooting at the barricade. He can’t remember exactly how he ran into the petrol station but he soon found himself hiding in petrol station's toilets; while he was hiding he heard continual shooting and explosions.
Surachai stated he was attempting to get out of the barricade while the soldiers were shooting and he also remembered there was one Thai-speaking foreigner taking a lot of photographs.
Surachai couldn’t remember how long he was hiding behind the barricade, all he knows was it seemed like forever. Surachai waited until he could find a way to run and hide in the petrol station or behind the yellow BMA truck.
He then saw the foreign journalist ran into petrol station and Surachai decided to follow him.
Surachai was hiding behind the wall when he reached the petrol station which was 3m away from the barricade. He witnessed two men who had been shot, one of whom was a man who had tried to stack up the tyres on the barricade who fell on the ground after he was shot into his arm and stomach. The other man was shot in his legs - all the bullets came from the army's position.
Roughly 7-8 people were hiding in the petrol station and they were shouting to those who were hiding behind the barricade to join them.
Surachai stated after witnessing people being shot, he called and asked his brother-in-law who was at Din Deang triangle to send someone/ambulance to help the injured people. His brother-in-law told him no one could get in there because the army were continuously shooting at anything that moved.
After he finished talking with his brother-in-law, Surachai saw the man who was shot in his leg staggering into petrol station. Surachai and some others took the shot-man to hide in the toilet.
Surachai then left the toilet and shouted to the man who had been shot in the stomach and who was stuck behind the barricade "how he was". This man wasn't able to move but he kept saying that he couldn't bear the pain anymore.
Surachai didn’t have any idea how to save this man’s life because he feared for his own life because the soldiers were pouring continual heavy fire in the barricade and nobody could move very far.
The foreign journalist told him and the injured man not to worry because he had phoned and asked the army to stop shooting at the unarmed protesters and he was convinced that the shooting would soon stop. Surachai turned around and told the foreign journalist that they wouldn't stop because they wanted to kill everyone.
Surachai stated while he was hiding in the petrol station that he saw the protester who hid behind the BMA truck trying to help the injured people but that the soldiers on the bridge were shooting heavily at them in order to prevent them from helping the injured people.
A while after that he saw the man who was stuck behind the barricade who had been shot in stomach rolling his body along the street and into the petrol station. Surachai and the other people then carried the wounded man to the petrol station toilet.
Surachai stated there was a 1m high wall behind the petrol station. He once again telephoned his brother-in-law to ask if there was any help coming but his brother-in-law stated no one could reach that area since the soldiers were shooting at anyone who tried to get in there. After Surachai hang up the phone, he began figuring out ways to evacuate the injured.
Surachai saw one injured man losing a lot of blood so he tore his shirt and tied it around theinjured man's arm in order to stop the bleeding. Surachai noticed that one of the other injured men and the foreign journalist were not there anymore.
By about 3-4pm, Surachai believed that besides the injured people, there were about 4-5people, including Witsanu, in the petrol station.
They made a plan to move the injured people out of the petrol station by carrying them over the 1m high wall at the back of the petrol station. Some people jumped over the wall while the rest of the people passed over the injured.
Surachai volunteered to pass over the injured but since he couldn't do it by himself he asked Witsanu to stay and help him.
Surachai stated he didn't expect the army would be coming into the petrol station and he only thought about helping the injured people first. That was why he stayed in the petrol station - in order to help carry the injured over the wall.
After finishing this task, Surachai and Witsanu were just about to jump over the wall when suddenly someone shouted for them to stop. They both stopped, put their hands on their heads and then turned around. They then saw 5-6 soldiers pointing guns at them. As the soldiers moved closer they pointed the guns directly at their heads. At this point Surchai and Witsanu thought they would definitely be killed. Two soldiers went into petrol station's toilet and the remaining soldiers ordered them to kneel down and put their arms behind their backs. Shortly after that their arms were tied behind their back.
Without any warning, the soldiers inflicted a brutal beating on both men. Surachai stated he was kicked in his stomach, ribs and face. When he fell over onto the ground the soldiers continued beating him. Surachai adds there was one moment that he saw Witsanu being kicked in his face because he had dared to look at the soldiers. Both of them can't remember how long they were beaten for. What they can remember is the terrible severity of the beating and they thought they would be unlikely to survive.
After that, they were dragged away from the wall and the vicinity of the toilet. The soldiers then started to brutally beat them up again while some shouted at them that "you killed many of my friends". Both Surachai and Witsanu said they would find it difficult to recognise the soldiers again or know who they were since there was no name tag on the soldiers uniforms.
Surachai stated one soldier pulled a golden-coloured necklace from his neck because they thought it was real gold. After that, soldiers started to body search both him and Witsanu.
During the search, Witsanu stated that his new 12,050THB (£245) Blackberry phone, which he’d bought 3weeks previously, was taken by the soldiers. After finishing the search, the soldiers began pointing their guns to Surachai’s and Witsanu’s heads and ordered them to run even though their hands were still tied behind their backs. Both Surachai and Witsanu decided not to run because they were afraid that they would be killed for trying to escape. After they refused to run one solider was going to beat them again but he was stopped by other soldiers. Surachai then spat a lot of blood out from his mouth and at that moment he realized that one of his teeth had been knocked out.
At this point they were both put into an army truck and taken to Payathai police station.
When they arrived, the soldiers told them to sit and wait. They were both offered cups of water to drink by the police but instead they used it to wash their faces. They then noticed that their shirts were covered with blood and they had bruises all over their faces.
They both were brought to 4th floor for questioning. In the office, there were two soldiers armed with guns and another two men with cameras who took pictures of them. The police asked how they got into that area because even the police wouldn't be allowed there. They both said they had no idea - the journalists also asked what they were doing there - they replied that they were there to help the injured.
When Surachai and Witsanu arrived at the police station they noticed a table filled with weapons including fireworks, Molotov cocktails and catapults. The journalists who had taken photographs of Surachai and Witsanu also took photographs of the weapons.
Shortly after having their photos taken with the weapons, the police explained to them that they were had been charged with violating the State of Emergency and asked them to sign the document. They both signed the document but neither had the chance to read it as the police quickly took it away. After the police took their picture and recorded their details, they both were placed in police cell.
While in the cells Surachai and Witsanu stated that on the night of May 15th, 2010 4 Red Shirts, who were arrested for trying to deliver food to protesters at Ratchaprasong, arrived at Payathai police station. Surachai and Witsanu didn't find out these persons’ names but all were prosecuted and sentenced to 6months in jail.
The next morning on May 16, two more red Shirts were detained at Payathai police station and Surachai's mother came to visit him. She brought with her the May 16th copy of the Khaosod newspaper. Inside this newspaper was a photograph of Surachai and Witsanu - the text next to this photograph stated that Surachai and Witsanu had spoke in Khmer [Cambodian] to each other.
Surachai and Witsanu were taken to court on May 17th 2010 with 6 other Red Shirts. In court, the young judge read the indictment and asked how they would plead. When they were waiting to go inside the court the police had told both men that if they didn’t plead guilty they could be detained at a military camp. As they were afraid to go to a military camp both decided to plead guilty. The same police also told them if they put in guilty plea they would only receive a prison sentenced of between 2-6months.
After the court sentenced them [for full verdict see below], Surachai asked to be released on bail but his request was turned down. Witsanu didn't make a request for bail because he didn't have any money. Surachai added that when his request was turned down he knew exactly how it felt like to be discriminated against because of his political belief. It is normal in a Thai court for serious criminal like murderers to be allowed bail.
Surachai was found guilty of violating the SOE/participating in a demonstration on May 15th and for possession of weapons (see list below) - he received a one year prison sentence.
1. One catapult
2. Three firecrackers
3. Two sharp materials.
4. 8 glass marbles
5. One gas mask
6. One mobile phone
7. One bag
8. One black cap
Witsanu was sentenced to jail for 6months for violating the SOE/participating in a demonstration on May 15th.
Even though the men both entered a guilty plea they both insist they were there to help injured people.
Both of them didn't appeal therefore the verdict was final. Witsanu will be released on November 16 and Surachai will be released on May 16 2011, on the first anniversary of Bangkok Massacre. Surachai has now adjusted himself to life in prison. He has heard of the campaign called "write to political prisoners" and wants anyone who believes in justice to please write to him at Klong Prem (Section 8) 33/2 Ngamwongwan Rd. Ladyao, Chatuchak district, Bangkok 10900 |
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