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THAILAND: Trial of police officers accused of Kalasin killings will
open on October 19

ISSUES: Extrajudicial killing; forced disappearance; impunity

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Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to inform you that the
case of Kiettisak Thitboonkrong was sent to the Criminal Court in
Bangkok in September 2009. The six police officers have been accused
of premeditated murder and of concealing Kiettisak's corpse to hide
the cause of death. The first trial will be opened on 19 October 2009
in the Criminal Court, Bangkok, Thailand. The AHRC asks supporters in
Bangkok to attend the trial as observers.

UPDATED INFORMATION:

As earlier reported (UAU-019-2009
<http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2009/3229/>
) the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) in the Ministry of
Justice has investigated the death of Kiettisak Thitboonkrong for
three years. On 18 May 2009 it charged six police officers with
premeditated murder and with concealing Kiettisak's corpse to hide the
cause of death (an image of the body can be found here
<http://www.urgentappeals.net/images/2009/AHRC-UAU-031-2009.jpg>
, but please be warned that it is graphic). Because this case was
investigated under the Special Investigation Act it was sent to the
Criminal Court in Bangkok. The public prosecutor is conducting the
case.

On 9 September the prosecutor sent the case against five police
officers--Pol. Snr. Sgt. Maj. Angkarn Kammoonna, Pol. Snr. Sgt. Maj.
Sutthinant Noenthing, Pol. Snr. Sgt. Maj. Phansilp Uppanant, Pol. Lt.
Col. Samphao Indee and Pol. Col. Montree Sriboonloue--to the court
(Black Case No. 325/2552) and sent the case against Pol. Lt. Col.
Sumitr Nanthasathit on 23 September (Black Case No. 346/2552). These
two cases were separated because the officers were brought before the
court at different times, and the prosecutor has sent a petition to
ask the court to try them as a single case.

On 22 September, Kittisupt Thitboonkrong, the father of Kiettisak,
also sent a petition to be joint-litigant on this case under the
Criminal Procedure Code, represented by lawyers from the Lawyers
Council of Thailand.

The Criminal Court has fixed the first date of trial for 19 October at
1.30pm. On that day it will also consider the petition of Kittisupt to
be join-litigant and the petition of the prosecutor to get the two
cases to proceeed together. Please attend this important trial.

Trial date and time: 19 October 2009 at 1.30pm.

Venue: Criminal Court, Rachadaphisek Road, Jatujak district, Bangkok,
Thailand

ADDITIONALCOMMENTS:

This case is the first in which the DSI has charged police officers
over killings in Kalasin Province and in which the prosecutor has
agreed to send the case to court. The AHRC alone has documented at
least 28 killings by police officers in Kalasin in recent years; for
more information see: UA-136-2007
<http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2007/2350/>
, UP-065-2007 <http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2007/2375/>
, UP-073-2007 <http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2007/2403/>
, UP-099-2007 <http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2007/2483/>
 and UAU-019-2009 <http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2009/3229/>
. Please refer to our earlier appeals and sample letters for further
information and action. For an extensive record of cases of alleged
police abuse in Thailand click here
<http://www.urgentappeals.net/pdf/AHRC-UAU-031-2009.pdf>
 (PDF).

Thank you.