Seh Daeng reported wounded

[Flashermac]

Parties deny role in hit on Seh Daeng

 

 

12:00am

 

 

Both ruling and opposition parties have denied any involvement in the attempted assassination of Khattiya Sawasdipol, condemning the unknown perpetrators at the same time.

 

The Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) yesterday denied allegations by red shirt protesters that it and the government were behind the shooting of Maj Gen Khattiya, also known as Seh Daeng.

 

CRES spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said an investigation has been launched into the Thursday night attack where Maj Gen Khattiya, who is the red shirts' paramilitary strategist, was shot in the head by a sniper.

 

[color:red]Some people used the attack to provoke violence, he said.[/color]

 

Maj Gen Khattiya is in critical condition at Vajira Hospital.

 

Col Sansern said the CRES had "no policy" to perpetrate violence.

 

"Let justice run its course, the CRES and all state authorities are ready to engage with the process of justice," said Col Sansern.

 

He said yesterday's military operation against the red shirts' stronghold at Ratchaprasong intersection was not a retaliation for previous clashes with protesters that had resulted in the deaths of soldiers and police.

 

"We don't have a policy to get back [at the red shirts] and officers have no right to do so," he said.

 

"We don't know yet who shot him [Maj Gen Khattiya], there were shots from snipers in previous incidents, including the clashes at Don Muang and Khok Wua intersection.

 

"The way to solve the problem is for them [red shirts] to end the rally."

 

Plodprasop Suraswadi, deputy leader of the Puea Thai Party, said the shooting was an attempt to kill an unarmed person.

 

Mr Plodprasop said Maj Gen Khattiya was shot by a weapon that was only used by military units. The sniper was clearly not worried by the fact his bullets could hit reporters or other people in the area, he said.

 

Mr Plodprasop also questioned the army's lack of response to the shooting. He said Maj Gen Khattiya is a high-ranking military officer, but the army has acted inappropriately by not making any official response to the attempted assassination simply because the renegade had joined the red shirt movement.

 

Puea Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit accused the CRES of being responsible for the assassination attempt, as well as for firing M16 rifles and grenades from M79 launchers at red shirt protesters on Thursday night and yesterday. The clashes left seven dead and more than 100 injured.

 

The ruling Democrat Party denied the government was responsible for the shooting of Maj Gen Khattiya .

 

Democrat spokesman Buranat Samutharak said the shooting was unlawful.

 

The government and the CRES insisted they had not ordered the shooting because the government has told all security officials to adhere to enforcing the law according to international crowd control standards, he said.

 

"The Democrat Party condemns the unlawful practice," said Mr Buranat. "Later, relevant authorities must arrest the people responsible for the shooting and take legal action against them because the prime minister [Abhisit Vejjajiva] and the government have never ordered any unlawful action against protesters."

 

Director of the Central Institute of Forensic Science Khunying Porntip Rojanasunan will head an investigative team to collect evidence from Sala Daeng intersection where Maj Gen Khattiya was shot. She said her team would conduct the investigation as soon as the red shirt demonstration has ended.

 

 

Seh Daeng is hardly my hero, but I admire his courage just as I admired those unbelievable NVA sappers who used to try to crawl through the perimeter wire to attack us in RVN. Compare SD with the politicians hiding safely away with their body guards!

[Julian2]

On reading some of the comments going around from farangs it surprises me that some of the people who are most vocal in condemning IEDs as cowardly and unethical seem to think that long range sniping is OK.

[Flashermac]

In combat against an armed enemy, it is. It's not if you are a Lee Oswald wannabe.

 

Still, assassination seems to be a common practice in LOS. Not so long ago some folks tried to take out Sondhi.

[Mekong]

On reading some of the comments going around from farangs it surprises me that some of the people who are most vocal in condemning IEDs as cowardly and unethical seem to think that long range sniping is OK.

 

 

I couldn't agree more the assasination of Colonel Romkhlao Thuwatham on 10th April 2010 was a cowardly act.

 

Rumours are afoot that the sniper who took out Seh Daeng was a member of Colonel Romklao's Phayak Burapha regiment and this was a revenge attack.

[Flashermac]

I thought of this immediately, especially since the army denies it was "revenge". Still Col. Romklao's murder (which it was) is blamed on military infighting which would hardly have involved Seh Daeng. But if the report of a tourist allegedly hearing soldiers cheering Seh Daeng's shooting and being told to keep quiet about it would fit that theory.

 

 

 

 

[chuckwoww]

I'm sure the Reds are doing their own investigation. Any talk of a reward for the name/s?

[Flashermac]

Haven't heard talk of rewards for catching any gunmen so far. One Thai paper last month wrote that the reds had a 3 million baht bounty on Abhisit. That was why he was so careful about venturing out in public.

 

 

[tartempion]

What about this rumor of red shirt leaders getting 5 million/day????

 

Anything goes for bullshit?

[drogon]

I am with Flashermac on this one, he stuck to his convictions and fought for it, a warrior death.

(and snipers are warriors too)

 

Cheer up? Never good to cheer up a death but he was a general officer going with insurgents -> so please don't shout assassination.

 

If there was a protest in the USA which turns into a riot and then a local insurgency and if a general officer of the US armed forces was leading the fight against the military -> I am pretty sure if he was killed during the fightings

(be it by a sniper or whatever) there would be far less 'farangs' shouting assassination.

 

SD deserves respect but not apologies for his 'death'

[Flashermac]

What about this rumor of red shirt leaders getting 5 million/day????

 

Anything goes for bullshit?

 

 

The red shirts had to be fed, needed water and whatever to drink, had some incidental medical expenses. Many of them had to be transported from Bangkok. Remember that at times there were thousands of them gathered. That money had to come from somewhere. Rumour also claims the reds each got 200 or 300 baht a day for "expenses". Protests are expensive!