Justice remains elusive for family of a torture victim
One year on, there is barely any progress in the case of the death of army private Wichien Phueksom. And justice still remains elusive for the family of the victim.
A native of Songkhla province, Wichien had a Master’s degree from Thammasat University’s faculty of social welfare science. However, he volunteered to serve with the army in the restive Deep South. He was posted at Krom Luang Narathiwatratchanakarin barrack of Pee Leng camp in Cho-Airong district of Narathiwat – the same camp which was the scene of the most daring attack by suspected insurgents who took away more than 400 pieces of firearms on January 4, 2004.
Wichien died on June 5, 2011 at Narathiwatnakarin hospital – one day after he was admitted into the intensive care unit of the hospital for emergency treatment of serious injuries believed caused by repeated beatings. It was reported that he deserted from the army service but was eventually captured.
Complaints by the victim’s family led to a probe being ordered into Wichien’s death. Thirteen army officers attached to Pee Leng camp, including a lieutenant, were implicated but only nine of them were charged. The army lieutenant whose name was not disclosed was detained for only 15 days for defying the order of his immediate superior but was not charged.
Wichien’s case and the other cases of torture victims were the subject of a panel discussion held at a Bangkok hotel on June 26 which coincided with the International Day Against Torture. Panelists included human rights activist Somchai Homla-or, Ms Sukriya Baha, assistant researcher of an NGO in the Deep South, Dr Parnjai Wohandee from the forensic science institute of Justice Ministry and relatives of the torture victims.
Ms Narisarawan Kaewnopparit, a relative of Wichien, told the audience at the panel discussion that her family received a call from an army officer at Pee Ling camp early 2011 that the army private had run away from the camp. The family then contacted the army recruiting officer in Songkhla to find out more information about Wichien but later on an officer from Pee Leng camp informed the family that Wichien had returned to the camp.
Ms Narisarawan said that was the last time the family heard about Wichien until June 4, 2011, when an unidentified man told the family that the army private was hospitalized in Narathiwat. A cross-check with the hospital confirmed the information but, the following day, Wichien was pronounced dead.
The woman said Wichien told a doctor at the hospital that he was beaten up by about ten army officers under the supervision of a lieutenant. He also told the doctor to notify his family about his hospitalization, she added.
Ms Narisarawan said she felt something fishy about Wichien’s death because the lieutenant in question attended the funeral at the family’s home in Songkhla and asked the family not to pursue the case in return of a royal cremation and a full-honoured burial with a national flag placed on the coffin. But the family declined the offer.
She went on saying that the army officer had offered a three million baht in compensation to the victim’s family in exchange for dropping the case but later upped the offer to five million baht after having learned that the victim had a Master’s degree. Again, the family rejected the offers and took the case to the attention of Lt-Gen Udomchai Thammasarote, commander of the South-based fourth army region, and army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha but to no avail.
In desperation, they lodged a complaint directly with General Prem Tinsulanonda, president of privy council, when he visited Maha Vajiravudh college in Songkhla. A probe was eventually held which eventually resulted to nine officers being charged.
Ms Narisarawan said she learned that the army lieutenant’s father is a major-general in the fourth army region.
Investigation by the army probe team showed that Wichien was dragged across the floor and beaten up with one-metre long bamboo pole and was forced to sit on a big chunk of ice and his wounds were splashed with alcohol.
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Caption : Pee Leng camp in Cho-Airong district of Narathiwat