Resurrecting the Thaksin era 2003 extrajudicial killings
By Jon Fernquest
One
of Thaksin's most recent tactics has been to hire
high-profile lawyers
skilled in international
law. This includes the famous Canadian lawyer Robert Amsterdam and Dutch lawyer Alexander Knoops skilled in the area of war crimes (Read article and today's breaking news).
Of course, many have already forgotten that Thaksin himself may be guilty of instigating the most horrendous mass killing spree in Thai history (Read report of Dr. Michael K. Connors).
Today's article is about the renewal of these cases and begins after the vocabulary below:
resurrect - bring
back to life
extra-judicial killings - punishment of death "by the state or some other official authority without the permission of a court or legal authority"(See Wikipedia and also here)
tactics - a plan or method of achieving some goal over the short-term in a competition or conflict
high-profile - often seen or heard by the public, in newspapers or on TV
international law - "the term commonly used for referring to laws that govern the conduct of independent nations in their relationships with one another" (See Wikipedia)
Robert Amsterdam - a famous lawyer who for 30 years has fought international cases against governments and corporations, has represented many political leaders in court and his most famous case was that of Russian billionaire Mikhail Khodorkovsky who ended up being sentenced to 8 years in a Siberian jail (See Wikipedia and Bangkok Post profile)
Dr. Alexander Knoops - famous Dutch lawyer specializing in international law and a little bit of an idealist as seen in his work in Sierra Leone (See rough translation of Dutch Wikipedia page)
war crimes - not conducting war according to the rules of war: "violations of the laws or customs of war"; including "murder, the ill-treatment or deportation of civilian residents of an occupied territory to slave labor camps", "the murder or ill-treatment of prisoners of war", the killing of hostages, "the wanton destruction of cities, towns and villages, and any devastation not justified by military, or civilian necessity" (See Wikipedia)
guilty - actually carried out or "committed" a crime (not just accused of doing it or tried for crime)
instigating - causing
horrendous - very bad and very shocking
spree - doing a lot of some activity in a short period (examples: shopping spree, buying spree, killing spree)
killing spree - killing a lot of people in a short period of time
mass killing spree - killing large numbers of people in a short period of time
renewal - starting again after stopping
extra-judicial killings - punishment of death "by the state or some other official authority without the permission of a court or legal authority"(See Wikipedia and also here)
tactics - a plan or method of achieving some goal over the short-term in a competition or conflict
high-profile - often seen or heard by the public, in newspapers or on TV
international law - "the term commonly used for referring to laws that govern the conduct of independent nations in their relationships with one another" (See Wikipedia)
Robert Amsterdam - a famous lawyer who for 30 years has fought international cases against governments and corporations, has represented many political leaders in court and his most famous case was that of Russian billionaire Mikhail Khodorkovsky who ended up being sentenced to 8 years in a Siberian jail (See Wikipedia and Bangkok Post profile)
Dr. Alexander Knoops - famous Dutch lawyer specializing in international law and a little bit of an idealist as seen in his work in Sierra Leone (See rough translation of Dutch Wikipedia page)
war crimes - not conducting war according to the rules of war: "violations of the laws or customs of war"; including "murder, the ill-treatment or deportation of civilian residents of an occupied territory to slave labor camps", "the murder or ill-treatment of prisoners of war", the killing of hostages, "the wanton destruction of cities, towns and villages, and any devastation not justified by military, or civilian necessity" (See Wikipedia)
guilty - actually carried out or "committed" a crime (not just accused of doing it or tried for crime)
instigating - causing
horrendous - very bad and very shocking
spree - doing a lot of some activity in a short period (examples: shopping spree, buying spree, killing spree)
killing spree - killing a lot of people in a short period of time
mass killing spree - killing large numbers of people in a short period of time
renewal - starting again after stopping
DSI to begin further probe of Thaksin-era drug deaths
Bureau looks at four 'extra-judicial killings'29/05/2010
King-oua Laohong
The Department of Special Investigation says it is possible to reopen the investigations into the alleged extra-judicial killings of drug suspects during the Thaksin Shinawatra administration's war on drugs.
DSI chief Tharit Pengdit confirmed yesterday that investigations into the deaths of more than 2,500 suspected of involvement in the drug trade between 2003 and 2004 could be resumed. Mr Tharit said the DSI would take on the extra-judicial murders as special cases
Department of Special
Investigation (DSI) - the special police unit that handles
economic crimes involving influential people and organized crime (Source: Tileke
and Gibbens Law)
probe - an attempt to find out the truth about an issue, problem or accident, made by an official group (or by the media); an investigation การตรวจสอบ การสอบสวน
probe - an investigation, an attempt to find out the truth about something; การตรวจสอบ, การสอบสวน
alleged - claimed, but not yet proven ที่ถูกกล่าวหา
suspects - people who may have committed the crime, identified by the police ผู้ต้องสงสัย
war on drugs - (See Wikipedia on Thaksin's drug policies and war on drugs)
confirmed - said that a claim is true, verified
suspected - people believe that they might have done something wrong, but not yet proven เป็นที่สงสัย
trade - the buying and selling of goods การค้าขาย
probe - an attempt to find out the truth about an issue, problem or accident, made by an official group (or by the media); an investigation การตรวจสอบ การสอบสวน
probe - an investigation, an attempt to find out the truth about something; การตรวจสอบ, การสอบสวน
alleged - claimed, but not yet proven ที่ถูกกล่าวหา
suspects - people who may have committed the crime, identified by the police ผู้ต้องสงสัย
war on drugs - (See Wikipedia on Thaksin's drug policies and war on drugs)
confirmed - said that a claim is true, verified
suspected - people believe that they might have done something wrong, but not yet proven เป็นที่สงสัย
trade - the buying and selling of goods การค้าขาย
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had ordered the Justice Ministry to revive the cases after Thaksin threatened to bring the government's dispersal of red shirt protesters to the attention of the International Court of Justice.
Mr Abhisit said Thaksin was a frequent violator of human rights while in office.
revive
- bring back to life again, get started once again after stopping
ฟื้นชีพ, ทำให้ฟื้นชีพ, ชุบชีวิต
revive cases - start legal cases again (after investigation stopped)
threatened - telling someone that if they don't do it, they will be punished
dispersal - breaking up a group gathered in a place
dispersal of protesters - breaking up a group of protesters gathered at a place
bring X to the attention of Y - show to X the thing Y
frequent - happening often เกิดขึ้นบ่อย
violator - someone who does not follow rules or laws, breaks rules or laws
rights - what the law allows you to have and do (See Wikipedia) สิทธิ์
human rights - basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled (See Wikipedia)
revive cases - start legal cases again (after investigation stopped)
threatened - telling someone that if they don't do it, they will be punished
dispersal - breaking up a group gathered in a place
dispersal of protesters - breaking up a group of protesters gathered at a place
bring X to the attention of Y - show to X the thing Y
frequent - happening often เกิดขึ้นบ่อย
violator - someone who does not follow rules or laws, breaks rules or laws
rights - what the law allows you to have and do (See Wikipedia) สิทธิ์
human rights - basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled (See Wikipedia)
Piyawat Kingkate, head of the DSI's special crime division, has accepted four cases involving suspected extra-judicial killings.The statute of limitations for these cases is 20 years, Pol Col Piyawat said.
The first case concerns the death of 17-year-old Kiattisak Thitboonkrong, a native of Kalasin province, who was found hanged from the ceiling of a hut in Roi Et's Chang Han district in July 2004.
division
- one part of a large organisation
statute - a law which has been formally approved and written down รัฐบัญญัติ, พระราชบัญญัติ, ฎหมาย
statute of limitations - the time period that a legal case must be started in, after this time legal case cannot be started (See Wikipedia)
concerns - worries ความกังวล
native - someone who was born in a particular place ชาวพื้นเมือง
ceiling - the surface above you in a room
statute - a law which has been formally approved and written down รัฐบัญญัติ, พระราชบัญญัติ, ฎหมาย
statute of limitations - the time period that a legal case must be started in, after this time legal case cannot be started (See Wikipedia)
concerns - worries ความกังวล
native - someone who was born in a particular place ชาวพื้นเมือง
ceiling - the surface above you in a room
After five years of collecting evidence and questioning more than 100 witnesses, the DSI had decided to press charges of premeditated murder three againstcommissioned and three non-commissioned officers attached to Muang Kalasin police station.
The second case involves the murder of Pongthep and Ampaiwan Rukhongprasert who were shot dead in Tak's Mae Sot district on May 18, 2003. The couple owned a truck company in the province.
Before they were killed, the couple had sone of their trucks seized for carrying a load over the legal limit. The two went to the police station to settle the matter with officers, but had no success.
They were gunned down in a car on their way home. According to police, drugs were found in their shoes.
evidence
- facts statements or objects that help to prove whether or not someone
has committed a crime หลักฐาน
witnesses - a person who say an event, usually an accident or crime that they describe, an eyewitness
charges - bring a criminal case against a person
press charges against Y - the act of bringing a criminal case against person Y
murder - the crime of intentionally killing a person ฆาตกรรม
premeditated murder - making a plan to kill a person and then killing them (See Wikipedia)
officers - a member of the military (also the police in Thailand) who holds a position of authority (See Wikipedia)
commissioned officers - the officers who command military units, receive advanced military training such as attending a military academy (See Wikipedia)
Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) - a person who has been promoted to a high position within the group of non-officers (See Wikipedia)
station - a place where some activity takes place (for example: power station, police station, fire station, space station, way station)
police station - building and center for local police officers and staff, contains offices, locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interrogation rooms (See Wikipedia)
shot dead - person killed by bullet "shot" from gun
couple - two people who are married or are involved in a romantic relationship คุ่รัก
load - to put a lot of things into a vehicle or machine ใส่,บรรจุ
limit - a highest or lowest amount
carrying a load over the legal limit - the truck was caryying more than it could legally
settle - to reach a decision or an agreement about something, or to end a disagreement แก้ปัญหา
matter - a situation or subject which is being dealt with or considered เรื่อง, ภารกิจ, สิ่งที่พูดถึง ประเด็นที่พูดถึง
witnesses - a person who say an event, usually an accident or crime that they describe, an eyewitness
charges - bring a criminal case against a person
press charges against Y - the act of bringing a criminal case against person Y
murder - the crime of intentionally killing a person ฆาตกรรม
premeditated murder - making a plan to kill a person and then killing them (See Wikipedia)
officers - a member of the military (also the police in Thailand) who holds a position of authority (See Wikipedia)
commissioned officers - the officers who command military units, receive advanced military training such as attending a military academy (See Wikipedia)
Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) - a person who has been promoted to a high position within the group of non-officers (See Wikipedia)
station - a place where some activity takes place (for example: power station, police station, fire station, space station, way station)
police station - building and center for local police officers and staff, contains offices, locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interrogation rooms (See Wikipedia)
shot dead - person killed by bullet "shot" from gun
couple - two people who are married or are involved in a romantic relationship คุ่รัก
load - to put a lot of things into a vehicle or machine ใส่,บรรจุ
limit - a highest or lowest amount
carrying a load over the legal limit - the truck was caryying more than it could legally
settle - to reach a decision or an agreement about something, or to end a disagreement แก้ปัญหา
matter - a situation or subject which is being dealt with or considered เรื่อง, ภารกิจ, สิ่งที่พูดถึง ประเด็นที่พูดถึง
The other two cases involve the hanging deaths of two teenagers in Kalasin, Pol Col Piyawat said.
He said that witness hearings into these four cases are expected to be completed in July.
An independent committee looking into the alleged extra-judicial killings appointed during the Surayud Chulanont administration was unable to come to any conclusions on who was responsible for the deaths.
The panel was disbanded before it could complete its findings and the People Power Party-led government that succeeded Gen Surayud did not continue the investigation.
hanging - when a
person dies by a rope around their neck tied to the ceiling (See Wikipedia)
witness - a person who sees something happen ผู้ที่เห็นเหตุการณ์์, พยาน
hearings - an official meeting to collect facts about a situation or problem
expected - believe will happen คาดว่า (จะเกิดขึ้น)
independent - free from outside influence, separate and not connect, not influenced or affected by others เป็นอิสระ
appointed - when a person is officially put in a position in an organization
administration - one government that a country has for a period of time
panel - a group of people brought together to discuss, investigate, and give advice on a subject
findings - the results or conclusions of an investigation or research
investigation - the process of trying to find out all the details or facts about something การสอบสวน
witness - a person who sees something happen ผู้ที่เห็นเหตุการณ์์, พยาน
hearings - an official meeting to collect facts about a situation or problem
expected - believe will happen คาดว่า (จะเกิดขึ้น)
independent - free from outside influence, separate and not connect, not influenced or affected by others เป็นอิสระ
appointed - when a person is officially put in a position in an organization
administration - one government that a country has for a period of time
panel - a group of people brought together to discuss, investigate, and give advice on a subject
findings - the results or conclusions of an investigation or research
investigation - the process of trying to find out all the details or facts about something การสอบสวน
(Source: DSI to begin further probe of Thaksin-era drug deaths, Bureau looks at four 'extra-judicial killings', 29/05/2010, King-oua Laohong, link)
