THAILAND: Police lodge defamation charges against forensic scientist over “5 bullet suicide” case 

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is outraged that five Thai police officers have filed defamation complaints against a senior forensic scientist and government bureaucrat following the latter’s comments over an apparent extrajudicial killing which the police have maintained was a suicide. Although all evidence points to the fact that the police killed the victim, they have lodged the defamation complaints in order to ‘protect their reputations’.

We ask that you please write to the Minister of Interior expressing your anger at the absurdity of these complaints and the need to withdraw them immediately. Please also voice your strong concern regarding the shameless excesses of power enjoyed by the Thai police, as evident in this case. If such abuses of power by the police are accepted now, then little hope can be held for the future integrity of the forensic profession and its collating of evidence in torture and murder cases.

Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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DETAILED INFORMATION:

On 21June 2005, five officers from the Bang Khunthien police station, in Bangkok, Thailand, filed defamation complaints against Justice Ministry deputy permanent secretary Mr Manit Suthaporn and the Central Institute of Forensic Science’s deputy director, Dr Porntip Rojanasun. The police officers have accused Dr Porntip and Mr Manit of making false statements regarding the police officers’ involvement in the death of Sunthorn Wongdao, during an interview on the iTV programme “Todrahat” on June 18.

Mr Sunthorn Wongdao was found dead in Bang Yai district, Nonthaburi province on May 21, after being surrounded by officers of the Bang Kunthien station, who claimed he had committed suicide before being apprehended. However, the CIFS concluded that neither the condition of the victim’s body nor the crime scene suggested a suicide. In fact, the victim had four bullets through his lung and one through his head. The nature of the gunshot wounds suggests that another person fired the bullets at close range. Furthermore, the crime scene had allegedly been tampered with. The body of the victim appeared to have been turned over, and evidence organised to suggest a suicide.

Despite these facts, the Bang Kunthien police reportedly continue to maintain that the killing was a suicide. When Dr Porntip and Mr Manit appeared on iTV on June 18 to comment on the case, they simply countered this assertion by pointing to the facts. The Minister of Justice reportedly backed their shared opinion: he, it has been pointed out, has not been sued.

It is in response to the comments made Dr Porntip and Mr Manit that the five officers, including the superintendent of Bang Kunthien District Police Station, Police Colonel Thirisak Suriwong, have taken the step of filing defamation complaints. The other four officers are reported as being Pol. Capt. Pittaya Singjanusong, Pol. Capt. Pramote Chanbunkaew, Pol. Sgt-Maj. Bunyang Muangkrachang and Pol. Sgt. Sutham Thepraksapan. Pol. Col. Thirisak was reported to have said that the police had a right to protect their reputations.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Thailand’s antiquated defamation laws are commonly used by powerful persons and officials to silence dissent and intimidate human rights defenders. The AHRC has previously raised concerns over the case of Supinya Klangnarong, who is being sued by a corporation owned by the family of the prime minister (most recent update: UP-31-2005; see also: AS-38-2005).

In this case, the defamation case is a blatant attempt to intimidate a forensic scientist, and through her, others in her profession, who know a great deal more about investigation of a crime scene than the police. They speak to the resentment that the police have over the small number of independent agencies now operating in Thailand that are able to cast some light on the uncounted numbers of human rights violations they had been free to commit in earlier years. For further comments, see: AS-64-2005 and AS-65-2005.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please write to the Minister of Interior expressing your anger at the absurdity of these defamation complaints and the need to withdraw them immediately. Please also urge that a proper inquiry into the killing be conducted by the Department of Special Investigation under the Ministry of Justice.

To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER