Inquiry into journalist's death nears end

A probe into Japanese photographer Hiroyuki Muramoto's death will be completed by next week, the Metropolitan Police Bureau team re-investigating the killings in last year's political mayhem said yesterday.

United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship chairwoman Thida Tawornseth, second left, leads a group of supporters to submit a petition to Justice Minister Pracha Promnok calling on the government to speed up bail applications for red shirts detained in connection with the political violence between March and May last year.

The team was speeding up its inquiry into the death, the third of 16 such cases, and will give its report to the Department of Special Investigation soon, said deputy Metropolitan Police Bureau commissioner Anuchai Lekbamrung, the chief investigator.

The DSI has stipulated the 16 deaths were caused by state officials. Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung had previously ordered the Metropolitan Police Bureau to take over the investigation into the deaths from the Department of the Special Investigation.

Muramoto, who worked for Reuters, was killed while covering the April 10 clashes between security forces and red shirts at the Kok Wua intersection in Bangkok. On Tuesday, the police team completed a second investigation into the death of Mana Atran, who was gunned down at Dusit Zoo on April 10, Pol Maj Gen Anuchai said.

Findings of the first two investigations have already been forwarded to prosecutors, he added.

Pol Maj Gen Anuchai said he was confident that the investigations into the remaining cases would be completed before a Dec 18 deadline.

The 16 cases do not include that of Italian photographer Fabio Polenghi, who died on May 19 last year during clashes on Ratchadamri Road, he said.

In another development, United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) chairwoman Thida Thavornseth submitted a four-point petition to Justice Minister Pracha Promnok yesterday.

She led 30 UDD supporters to hand her petition to Pol Gen Pracha at the Flood Relief Operations Command yesterday. The petition was also submitted to the Truth for Reconciliation Commission, chaired by former attorney-general Kanit na Nakorn.

The first point called for acknowledgement that all detained political crime suspects are entitled to bail by the Rights and Liberties Protection Department.

The second demanded that if a political crime suspect has not been bailed, they they should be held in an appropriate prison and receive different treatment from general criminals. The third urged the delay of any verdicts as the country is still in political transition and the rule of law is not firmly established.

The last point was a request to reconsider charges against political prisoners that might have been too excessive.

Ms Thida also called on the Rights and Liberties Protection Department to examine differences between the Corrections Department and the UDD with regards the number of detained red-shirt supporters eligible for bail. The UDD has 101 names compared to 70 on the Corrections Department list.

After meeting with Pol Gen Pracha, Mrs Thida said the Justice Ministry had accepted the first and second points.

However, Pol Gen Pracha said prisoners charged with violation of Section 112 of the criminal code, widely known as lese majeste law, and the Computer Crime Act are not eligible for bail.

Mrs Thida said the 101 political prisoners will be moved to the Police Privates' Training School in Bang Khen .