Probe into 169 unidentified bodies

Probe into 169 unidentified bodies

The DNA testing can help in the identification of the bodies but would not be able to find out how, when and where they died, Justice Ministry's Central Institute of Forensic Science director Porntip Rojanasunan said on Friday.

ustice Ministry's Central Institute of Forensic Science director Porntip Rojanasunan

Khunying Porntip was referring to the 169 unidentified bodies discovered buried in Klong Ta Kwa, Samor Prong and Huay Yang temples in Rayong's Klaeng district. The red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship suspected that the bodies could be the missing red-shirts who took part in the April-May political protest last year.

"Regarding the identification process, inspectors will have to check with the temples as they may keep the names of the bodies.

"If the bodies were relocated inspectors will have to search the origin but if they were murdered and concealed inspectors must examine them thoroughly.

"As for the suspicion that the bodies could be the missing red-shirts, we might not be able to verify it because we cannot find out where, when and how they died from examining their bones," said the renowned forensic scientist.

She said Justice Minister Pracha Promnok had not yet assigned the Central Institute of Forensic Science to examine the bodies.

Pol Gen Pracha said the Scientific Crime Detection Division in the Justice Ministry would not take part in the investigation of the 169 unidentified bodies as the police were directly responsible for the task.

He said his ministry had not yet been contacted by the police to help out in the investigation.

Department of Special Investigation director-general Tharit Pengdit said the DSI had never received reports about missing people during the April-May political violence last year.

Department of Special Investigation director-general Tharit Pengdit

"It would be too soon to conclude that the unidentified bodies were the red-shirt protesters and it would be more appropriate to wait for the autopsy results first," Mr Tharit said.

National army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha took the same tone, saying the public should not jump to the conclusion that the 169 unidentified bodies found buried in three temples in Rayong were missing red-shirt protesters.

"We must wait for the investigation and let the police look into the matter first.

"There is nothing that we cannot prove, so don't make claims or assumptions that the bodies belong to certain groups of people," Gen Prayuth said.

He said forensic science personnel would examine the bodies if the evidence and testimony from witnesses was not sufficient.

When reporters asked him about the people accusing the army of being involved in hiding the 169 bodies, he said such accusations were false if they did not have evidence tobackthe claim. The legal sector would determine if the accusers broke the law.

Pol Lt-Gen Santhan Chayanont, chief of the Office of Legal Affairs and Litigation in the Royal Thai Police Office, said police had suspicions about the 169 bodies because there were no death certificates or reports of their deaths.

He said police would look into whether the bodies were victims of Typhoon Gay from Chumphon province in 1989, as claimed by the temples' abbots.

"The police question why the bodies were moved from Chumphon to Rayong, since there are many burial grounds in Chumphon," Pol Lt-Gen Santhan said.

The investigation will follow proper procedures and will include DNA testing. Authorities will take some time to examine the bodies and will be impartial in the investigation, he said.

UDD chairwoman Thida Thavornseth said the Mirror Foundation had reported that about 60 red-shirts disappeared during the political protest last year.

Mrs Thida called on the government to thoroughly examine the 169 bodies discovered in Rayong to see if they were the missing red-shirts.

"I'm not sure whether all the bodies were the missing red-shirts until the investigation result is clear," she said.

Pheu Thai party list MP and UDD core member Weng Tojirakarn said he will ask Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung and national police chief Wichean Potephosree to help look into this issue.

Democrat Party key member and former deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban

Meanwhile, Democrat Party key member and former deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban said the Abhisit Vejjajiva government had never received any reports from police or intelligence officials of missing red-shirt protesters during the April-May political protest in 2010.

Security officials had not hidden or disposed of any bodies, Mr Suthep said.

He was responding questions about the 169 unidentified bodies discovered in three temples in Rayong's Klaeng district.

Officials from a foundation in Chumphon province were responsible for the bodies. They had transferred them to another foundation in Rayong, he said.

Mr Suthep, who was in charge of security affairs in the Abhisit administration, said the previous government had no ill intentions towards anyone. Officials only performed their duty to maintain peace and order and preserve the law during the UDD protest last year.

"Everyone has seen the images of the red-shirt protest on television. Protesters were injured or killed by the armed men among the red-shirts.

"We can see that authorities could not get hold of the bodies. The people who took the bodies away were rescuers, nurses and foundation workers.

"Therefore, I don't suspect that government officials were behind the bodies," the Democrat former secretary-general said.