Mother seeks progress in death probe

The mother of a volunteer nurse who was shot dead during the 2010 dispersal of protesters in Bangkok yesterday showed up at the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to demand progress into the death of her daughter.

Phayaw Akkahad said it had been almost 10 years since the death of daughter, Kamolkade Akkahad, but the case was still being investigated by the DSI and numerous questions remained unanswered.

She demanded that the DSI report the progress of their investigation within seven days or before May 19, which marks the 10th anniversary of Kamolkade’s death.

The petition was lodged with Pol Col Akkarapol Boonyopattham, deputy director-general of the DSI. Ms Phayaw also said she would petition the army or the Defence Ministry if there was no response from the DSI.

Kamolkade was among six people killed at Wat Pathum Wanaram during the 2010 protests by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD).

In August 2013, the Bangkok South Criminal Court ruled that soldiers killed six civilians in Wat Pathum Wanaram during the crackdown. In October 2013, the court ruled that two UDD protesters killed during the military crackdown in April 2010 were shot from locations where soldiers were positioned.

Pol Col Akkarapol, also the DSI’s spokesman, yesterday defended the DSI’s handling of the case, saying the investigation is making progress. He said the DSI would look at Ms Phayaw’s petition and respond within seven days.

Ms Phayaw earlier called for the establishment of a House panel tasked with bringing to justice those responsible for the deaths of demonstrators during the political violence between April and May in 2010.

In May last year, a military court dropped charges against eight soldiers who took part in the dispersal operation because of a “lack of evidence”.