The case of a missing key witness
By the News Desk
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was recently asked by the widow of missing Muslim human rights lawyer Somchai Nillapaijit to resolve the case of a key witness who has gone missing without any traces for almost two weeks.
In her open letter to Mr Abhisit, copies of which were also sent to the justice minister and the head of the Department of Special Investigation, Mrs Angkhana Nillapaijit demanded that the DSI and the Office of the National Commission to Counter Corruption, in particular, be held accountable for the disappearance of Mr Abduloh Abukaree, a key witness in a case initiated by the DSI against 10 high-ranking police officers accused of torturing and inflicting physical abuse against clients of Somchai Nillapaijit charged with involvement in the robbery of an army armoury in Narathiwat on April 4, 2004.
According to the Asian Human Rights Commission, Mr Abduloh went missing while returning from a teashop, not far from his house in Ra-nage district of Narathiwat, on December 11. He has not been seen or heard of ever since.
Mrs Angkhana said she suspected Mr Abduloh’s disappearance was enforced upon him against his will, adding that the case will jeopardize other witnesses in the alleged torture case or other cases against state officials.
Besides Mr Abduloh’s case, Mrs Angkhana also demanded that authorities concerned speed up resolving the case of her missing husband, Mr Somchai, claiming that there has been no progress about the case since it was taken over by the DSI about four years ago. The latest report about the case was the discovery of four oil drums reportedly containing remains of a human body with DNA that was tested to match with that of the missing lawyer.
She also urged the government to introduce a law making enforced or involuntary disappearance a criminal offence in accordance with the UN Convention against Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances in order to ensure better protection to the people.
It was reported that a senior army officer, Air Vice Marshal Nittaya Im-anothai, head of the public sector working group of the Fourth Army Region, made a surprise visit to Mr Abdoloh’s family in Ra-ngae district on December 22 to provide them with basic support.