Fishermen catch human skulls off coast of Thailand

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Fishermen catch human skulls off coast of Thailand

Ungelesener Beitragvon KoratCat » Do Mai 14, 2009 5:59 am

Fishermen catch human skulls off coast of Thailand

A macabre catch by Thai fishermen could finally solve the mystery over missing victims of a notorious act of repression by the army.

A haul of skulls and other body parts has been linked to five shipping containers on the sea bed off the southern Chon Buri province.

Some believe they hold the bodies of pro-democracy protesters killed by the army in 1992. Police have said that their divers will examine the containers within the week.

Over the years rumours have suggested that the bodies were scattered by aircraft over the jungle or buried at a remote army camp. According to the official tally, 52 people died when troops opened fire on protesters in Bangkok during “Black May” in 1992. But victims’ groups say that 357 people are still missing.

“Seventeen years on no significant progress has been made in searching for the people reported missing,” said Metha Matkhao, of the Campaign Committee for Human Rights.

The military government responsible was forced to step down but the issue of the killings remains extremely sensitive in Thailand because they were never fully investigated.

“The person who ordered the mass killing has not been punished, nor have the others involved ... who are still living a happy life, playing golf, sipping wine and making comments to the media,” Mr Metha told the Bangkok Post.

This week relatives presented a letter to the prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, who has promised to investigate.

“We ask that the government act quickly on this for the sake of clarity,” said Adul Khieoboriboon, the leader of the May Heroes Relatives Group. “We don’t hope for much apart from claiming the bones of our relatives.”

The fishermen have reportedly been making their grisly haul for several years but were initially reluctant to report it for fear that organised criminals were involved.

Sunai Phasuk, a Thailand researcher for Human Rights Watch, urged caution before jumping to conclusions.

He said although there are about five containers on the sea bed, they may simply have fallen off a passing ship.

“We have the same curiosity,” said Mr Sunai. “Why doesn’t somebody open up these containers and do away with this myth?”

Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand, the director of the National Forensic Science Institute, told The Daily Telegraph that she had been ordered to investigate but required official clearance before beginning her work.

Telegraph.co.uk May 13,2009
Es gibt nichts Gutes, ausser man tut es! Erich Kästner, 1899 - 1974

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Re: Fishermen catch human skulls off coast of Thailand

Ungelesener Beitragvon KoratCat » Fr Mai 15, 2009 9:49 pm

No containers of bones on seabed

A search by divers has failed to find any sign of shipping containers reputed to contain human skeletons on the seabed in Chon Buri province, the head of Silpakorn University's Division of Underwater Archaeology said on Friday

Imprem Watcharangura said the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) asked his division to organise a search of the ocean floor off Sattahip for the containers reported to have been seen by other divers.

He could confirm there were no containers there, Mr Imprem said.

Mr Imprem said fishermen have told the team that they would surely know if there were dead bodies hidden there, because fish would have flocked to the area to feed and the news would have spread.

He said people had been filing complaints based on the rumoured containers for the past 20 years. Diving teams had searched the area and found no evidnce of the containers.

On Friday morning, a team of navy divers began searching a location there for the containers.

Scuba divers claim to have come across a large number of skulls on the seabed during a coral reef adventure dive. They reported the find to the media.

The DSI said it would have another look at the site.

Bangkok Post May 15, 2009
Es gibt nichts Gutes, ausser man tut es! Erich Kästner, 1899 - 1974

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Re: Fishermen catch human skulls off coast of Thailand

Ungelesener Beitragvon KoratCat » Do Mai 21, 2009 9:59 am

MYSTERIOUS CONTAINER

Authorities to find safest way to open containner : top forensic doctor

Mysterious containers on the seabed off Chon Buri's Sattahip district will remain sunk during the ongoing efforts to find out where they came from, Central Institute of Forensic Science director Khunying Porntip Rojanasunan said Sunday.

"Lifting the containers from the sea is ruled out because it will cost a lot of money," Porntip said,

"But we will be looking for the safest way to cut open the containers underwater".

She was speaking after she reported the latest progress on the mysteriouscontainer case to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Porntip has been assigned to look into the containers after they caught the media spotlight and rumours spread that the bodies of those who died in the Black May incident were inside. The Black May incident referred to a bloody crackdown on prodemocracy protesters in Bangkok 17 years ago. After the turmoil ended, dozens of protesters never returned home and were feared dead.

The Nation May 21, 2009
Es gibt nichts Gutes, ausser man tut es! Erich Kästner, 1899 - 1974


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