Red flag raised on arms raid accusations
A reported plot to assassinate the prime minister is being treated with sceptism, but no one will know the truth until the main suspect speaks out
The recent seizure of a cache of weapons found in the house of red-shirt leader Wuthipong Kochathamkun, who goes by the alias Kotee, in Pathum Thani’s Lam Luk Ka district, has come as a shock to the public, raising suspicions about the political group’s activities.
The raid on Kotee’s two-storey house in tambon Ku Kot took place on the morning of March 18, involving both military and police officers. The house also serves as an office space for Thai Max Group Company. Authorities found a large array of mostly military weapons, including four M16 assault rifles, a shotgun, a carbine, an M79 grenade launcher and its eight grenades, 11 hand grenades and over 5,500 rounds of ammunition.
Further found in the raid were items such as passports, bank passbooks, loud speakers and several pieces of red clothing with the name “Kotee” stamped on them.
A man in the house at the time was arrested and taken into custody. He was later identified as Theerachai Utarawichian.
Police and soldiers searched a container yard in Samut Prakan’s Bang Phli district last Sunday after receiving a tip about more arms being hidden there, but the search turned up nothing.
As news of the raid spread, several people turned to social media to raise questions about whether the seizure of weapons from Kotee’s house was a government set-up.
The same question could be overheard in public places — from cafes to book stores, there were whispers about whether the raid had been staged. Kotee was widely known to have fled Thailand around three years ago after facing lese majeste charges. Many wondered why the authorities gone ahead with the raid, knowing he wasn’t home.
Kotee has not been seen in public since the Pheu Thai Party-led government, supported by the United Front for Democracy against (UDD) or the red shirts as they’re known, was ousted in the 2014 coup. He’d previously lived in Pathum Thani and ran a community radio station.
Feeding speculation that the raid was a set-up was the fact that the weapons and ammunition seized were still relatively new, according to several first-hand media reports
National Police Chief Chaktip Chaijinda said that some of the weapons looked to be taken from soldiers during the violent redshirt rallies in Bangkok in 2010.
Authorities accused Kotee of planning to use the weapons in an attack while the government was occupied searching the controversial Wat Phra Dhammakaya in Pathum Thani’s Khlong Luang district.
This led to more allegations that the weapons were meant to harm Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, who doubles as defence minister,
Ospoke out to reassure the public that the raid and found weapons were not set up by the government.
Gen Prawit said authorities had kept an eye on Kotee’s activity since he became a hardcore red-shirt activist.
It was reported that authorities had already once searched his house, believed to be hiding a weapons cache, but nothing was found at the time.
Some thought the weapons had been taken out just before the authorities arrived.
Intelligence reports later suggested there was evidence that the weapons were taken back to Kotee’s house after the raid, leading authorities to relaunch the operation last week after a lengthy investigation, Gen Prawit told the media at Government House.
He said intelligence authorities believe there are more people involved in the mass importation of the found weapons. They are investigating potential culprits now.
Gen Prawit said there was sufficient evidence to believe the weapons were linked to a plot to murder the prime minister, said Gen Prawit. No more details were given on the topic.
The defence minister did not disclose any details about a separate allegation regarding the connection to the Wat Phra Dhammakaya. Representatives of the wat quickly moved to deny any involvement with Kotee, initially suggested by authorities.
Gen Prawit mentioned only a few months ago that intelligence reports had found there were some people planning to harm him, as well as the prime minister.
He didn’t specify if Kotee was the suspected mastermind behind these plots.
The public now wants authorities to step up and be transparent about what’s going on behind the scenes. Who, they want to know, would dare harm the prime minister, who is escorted by police and soldiers everywhere he goes?
Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Srivara Ransibrahmanakul says authorities are currently seeking an arrest warrant for Kotee. He is believed to be hiding in Laos. Gen Prawit says they’ve reached out to Vientiane to orchestrate the arrest and extradite the red-shirt figure to stand trial in Thailand.
A man falsely posing as Kotee posted a YouTube audio clip, insisting he wasn’t responsible for the cache of weapons and that the government was trying to frame him.
Weng Tojirakarn, a leader of the UDD and his wife, co-leader Thida Thavornseth, further disavowed any of the red-shirt group’s involvement in the weapons cache.
The couple doubted that authorities had really got a tip-off that Kotee’s house was hiding weapons as the home owner had not lived there for a long time.
A fair investigation into the case was needed, they agreed.
To solve this case, nobody can speak on Kotee’s behalf. If Kotee is to prove his innocence, he must return to Thailand and fight against the accusations, or live out the rest of his days in exile as the public continues to grapple with this mysterious case.