Army warns of legal action for torture claims
Udomdej rejects court blast suspects’ stories
The army is threatening legal action against anyone accusing the military of torturing four suspects linked to the March 7 Criminal Court grenade attack, saying the allegations are totally groundless.
“I insist that the [accused] officials understand well the scope of their authority and know how to exercise it without infringing on human rights,” Deputy Defence Minister and army chief Udomdej Sitabutr said yesterday.
“Physical assaults, in particular, are not something we resort to,” he added.
The army chief said officials implicated in the alleged torture are open to investigation.
He was responding to a claim by the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) group that four suspects were beaten while in military custody.
The TLHR issued a statement on Tuesday saying it had received complaints from Charnwit Jariyanukul, Wichai Yoosuk, Sansern Sriounruen and Norapat Lueapol.
The four claimed they were subjected to torture that included being slapped, punched and kicked in the head in order to extract information from them, the TLHR said.
Some of the suspects were subject to electrocution that left visible marks on their skin while they were in military custody between March 9 and last Sunday, the TLHR statement said.
The four men are among 12 suspects arrested so far in the case.
Other suspects arrested include Yutthana Yenpinyo, accused of throwing the grenade into the court compound; and Mahahin Khunthong, who allegedly drove the motorcycle used in the attack.
Gen Udomdej maintained the allegations of torture were false.
The army will pursue legal action against anyone making or spreading such allegations, he warned.
He said the army does not want to prosecute anyone but it has no choice since its reputation has been tarnished.
The army chief said the Justice Ministry and the Foreign Ministry were in the processing of seeking the arrest and extradition of Manoon Chaichana, also known as Anek Sanfran, the alleged mastermind behind the court attack.
He is believed to be living somewhere in the United States from where he allegedly bankrolled the attack on the court and a suspected plot to bomb five other locations in Bangkok.
Mr Manoon allegedly transferred the money to Supaporn Mitarak, or “Dear”, who was also arrested.
Gen Udomdej also stressed that the task of maintaining peace and order is still a central duty of the army which is responsible for implementing policies of the government and the National Council for Peace and Order.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, meanwhile, said authorities are investigating the torture allegations.
“Now that they have claimed they were beaten, I’d like the public to weigh up their claim with the evidence before judging who is right and who is wrong,” he said.
Responding to calls for martial law to be lifted, the premier explained that only two sections of the law were being invoked and that the government is exploring ways to resolve contentious issues surrounding it.
But in the wake of the recent bomb scares in Bangkok, certain locations, such as residential areas and tourist attractions, may require more stringent security measures to be implemented for the safety of the public, he said.