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**outsitWrord** · 12-16-2010, 05:56 PM

Did police overreact in killing the suspected drive-by shooter?

Like it or not, the cyberspace social network YouTube has increasingly made inroads into our daily lives. It often serves as Big Brother, keeping watch on the our activities, especially the activities of the authorities, through its tens of thousands of voluntary netizens.

Last Saturday night’s police shooting of an alleged drug trafficker suspected to have randomly killed a 12-year old boy on Dec 4 in a drive-by shooting in Ayutthaya has sparked a heated debate among netizens about whether police overreacted or not.

The debate follows the uploading of a videoclip on YouTube by “regist53” apparently showing the fatal shooting at an apartment in Ayutthaya province when police moved in to arrest 29-year old Charnchai, alias Joke, Paikiew, and his brother Prasongsil, or Jib, for the murder of young Phokin “Nong Tomee” Deephiu, who was in the car they attacked.

Part of the clip shows a man thought to be a plainclothes policeman firing two shots at a target, later identified as Charnchai, lying in a wet overgrown area. It was not known whether Charnchai was dead at the time he was seen being shot.

Reactions to the clip among the posters were mixed, with people both for and against the extrajudicial killing of the suspect. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva appeared to be unhappy with allegation that the arresting officers might have overdone it and has asked for an explanation from the police.

Pol Gen Asawin Kwanmuang, acting commissioner of Region 1 Provincial Police and special adviser to the Royal Thai Police Office, was adamant that his men had acted properly in accordance with the rules of engagement in dealing with an armed and dangerous suspect.

He said his men would not have killed the suspect had he not shot at them first.

Human rights activist Somchai Homla-or said the victim’s relatives could take the case to court if they wished.

The big question for now is: Did police overreact or not? In order to get the right answer, there must be an investigation by an independent panel. A mere explanation from the police, as demanded by the prime minister, will not suffice. Nor would it dispel the doubts in the minds of many people.

As shown in the videoclip, Charnchai was shot as he was lying motionless on the ground by a man thought to be a plainclothes policeman. Whether he was dead at the time or not was not an excuse for the police to shoot at him first while approaching him. That was not self defence at all.

Police should have a better way to approach a suspect and to subdue him without the need to open fire simply because they were not sure if he was already dead and felt that he was dangerous.

Police might not be happy and might be demoralised by the fierce criticism of their actions, butt this is normal in an open society especially in an era of social networking when information spreads at lightning speed and there is little chance for secrets to be hidden from the public.

Big Brother is watching and police must be aware of this. No longer can police repeat the deadly "war on drugs” during the Thaksin regime, which saw more than 2,500 suspected drug dealers killed without arrest or trial, and escape unscathed as they did then.

There is no question that the trade in illicit drugs, especially methamphetamine or ya ba, has been flourishing and that every community appears to be affected. Many drug traffickers have become filthy rich from the illegal business, profiting from the suffering of so many of our youths who become addicted and of society at large.

However, the blatant extrajudicial killing of drug dealers is not the right solution, and is definitely against the rule of law.

And in the case of the Paikiew brothers, who reportedly have amassed more than 40 million baht in just a few years in the drug business, one may wonder how they survived for so long without the police moving in on them. Police have admitted they knew of their activities.

And if it had not been for the fatal shooting of the 12-year old boy, inspired by anger that the driver of the car supposedly cut in front of their motorbike, would the two brothers’ drug dealings have been exposed at all? Would the police have taken action against them?

12-16-2010, 05:56 PM	#2
outsitWrord Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 502 Senior Member	Did police overreact in killing the suspected drive-by shooter? Like it or not, the cyberspace social network YouTube has increasingly made inroads into our daily lives. It often serves as Big Brother, keeping watch on the our activities, especially the activities of the authorities, through its tens of thousands of voluntary netizens. Last Saturday night’s police shooting of an alleged drug trafficker suspected to have randomly killed a 12-year old boy on Dec 4 in a drive-by shooting in Ayutthaya has sparked a heated debate among netizens about whether police overreacted or not. The debate follows the uploading of a videoclip on YouTube by “regist53” apparently showing the fatal shooting at an apartment in Ayutthaya province when police moved in to arrest 29-year old Charnchai, alias Joke, Paikiew, and his brother Prasongsil, or Jib, for the murder of young Phokin “Nong Tomee” Deephiu, who was in the car they attacked. Part of the clip shows a man thought to be a plainclothes policeman firing two shots at a target, later identified as Charnchai, lying in a wet overgrown area. It was not known whether Charnchai was dead at the time he was seen being shot. Reactions to the clip among the posters were mixed, with people both for and against the extrajudicial killing of the suspect. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva appeared to be unhappy with allegation that the arresting officers might have overdone it and has asked for an explanation from the police. Pol Gen Asawin Kwanmuang, acting commissioner of Region 1 Provincial Police and special adviser to the Royal Thai Police Office, was adamant that his men had acted properly in accordance with the rules of engagement in dealing with an armed and dangerous suspect. He said his men would not have killed the suspect had he not shot at them first. Human rights activist Somchai Homla-or said the victim’s relatives could take the case to court if they wished. The big question for now is: Did police overreact or not? In order to get the right answer, there must be an investigation by an independent panel. A mere explanation from the police, as demanded by the prime minister, will not suffice. Nor would it dispel the doubts in the minds of many people. As shown in the videoclip, Charnchai was shot as he was lying motionless on the ground by a man thought to be a plainclothes policeman. Whether he was dead at the time or not was not an excuse for the police to shoot at him first while approaching him. That was not self defence at all. Police should have a better way to approach a suspect and to subdue him without the need to open fire simply because they were not sure if he was already dead and felt that he was dangerous. Police might not be happy and might be demoralised by the fierce criticism of their actions, butt this is normal in an open society especially in an era of social networking when information spreads at lightning speed and there is little chance for secrets to be hidden from the public. Big Brother is watching and police must be aware of this. No longer can police repeat the deadly "war on drugs” during the Thaksin regime, which saw more than 2,500 suspected drug dealers killed without arrest or trial, and escape unscathed as they did then. There is no question that the trade in illicit drugs, especially methamphetamine or ya ba, has been flourishing and that every community appears to be affected. Many drug traffickers have become filthy rich from the illegal business, profiting from the suffering of so many of our youths who become addicted and of society at large. However, the blatant extrajudicial killing of drug dealers is not the right solution, and is definitely against the rule of law. And in the case of the Paikiew brothers, who reportedly have amassed more than 40 million baht in just a few years in the drug business, one may wonder how they survived for so long without the police moving in on them. Police have admitted they knew of their activities. And if it had not been for the fatal shooting of the 12-year old boy, inspired by anger that the driver of the car supposedly cut in front of their motorbike, would the two brothers’ drug dealings have been exposed at all? Would the police have taken action against them?
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