Sutin, a core leader of the People's Democratic Force to Overthrow Thaksinism, was shot dead in a clash outside a polling station in Bang Na, where protesters had gathered to block yesterday's advance vote in the general election. The main vote is set for Sunday. Speaking at the Pathumwan intersection stage hours after the fatal shooting, Mr Suthep urged the military to form a special unit to help safeguard the protesters. "The soldiers may set up checkpoints around rally sites to search for weapons and provide protection, because we don't trust the police," Mr Suthep said. He said he wondered if the shooting was the work of Cambodia's special warfare unit, which he believes has been brought in to Thailand by senior police figures to attack the protesters. "The rights and freedoms of the people are guaranteed under the constitution, so we hope the armed forces see this fighting and will protect us," he said. However, he said he was not calling for a military coup. Mr Suthep criticised the Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order (CMPO), which has invoked an emergency decree in Bangkok to deal with the protest situation. He said it was unable to enforce its own laws, and this allowed Sutin to be killed in the heart of the city. PDRC spokesman Ekanat Prompan said as the attack took place during the invocation of the emergency decree, caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and caretaker Labour Minister Chalerm Yubamrung, who oversees the CMPO, must take responsibility for it. Sutin, 52, was shot dead at Wat Sri Iam in the Bang Na area, and another 10 people were injured in the polling station attack at 1.45pm yesterday, according to the Narenthorn Emergency Centre of the Public Health Ministry. They were taken to nearby hospitals, but Sutin was pronounced dead from wounds to the head, neck and right chest at Vibharam Hospital. The injured survivors are in a stable condition. Sutin led a group of protesters to the polling station at Wat Sri Iam about 11.30am after learning that booths were open for advance voting. Somnuek Chaisiri, 47, who was among the protesters, said they went to close down the station. Sutin and Rawee Mashmadol, another Pefot core leader, went to negotiate with the director of the polling station, who finally agreed to cease operations. The protesters then prepared to leave, Mr Somnuek said. After the group had gone only a short distance, Mr Somnuek said he saw a group of people carrying red flags and waiting for the protesters. The protesters tried to avoid them, but at least five gunshots were fired from among this group. "I saw Sutin and three other people being shot [while standing] on a pickup truck," he said. Meanwhile Pol Lt Col Kunthon Prachuapmoh, a Bang Na constituency MP candidate for the Pheu Thai Party, denied leading the group to the station to create violence, following reports that he was among them during the chaos at Wat Sri Iam yesterday. "I had no reason to get involved," he said. "My two subordinates and I went out to see the situation but had not yet reached the scene [when the shots were fired]." Shortly after the attack, a foreigner by the name of Roy Nijland uploaded a video clip called "Suthin ying dtaai [Sutin shot dead] _ From Supalai park Srinakarin" on to YouTube. In the 2:57-minute clip, which is believed to have been taken from the Supalai Park Srinakarin condominium, protesters are seen outside the polling station. Two gunshots and screams are then heard. Men then rush at passengers on a pickup truck and damage the vehicle until a woman shouts "Enough!". Dr Rawee said he will lodge a complaint with police against those who killed Sutin and injured others.
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綜合外國媒體1月27日報道,泰國一名反政府示威領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人中槍身亡后,反政府集會領(lǐng)袖素貼公開發(fā)聲,呼吁軍方介入、保護(hù)示威者安全。另外,知情人士透露,泰國選舉委員會希望大選推遲6個月。 ***尋求軍方保護(hù) 26日下午兩點(diǎn)左右,泰國反政府集會核心成員素廷在曼谷邦納區(qū)一投票站頭部中槍喪生,另有10人受傷。 這起暴力事件引發(fā)泰國社會各界的廣泛關(guān)注。當(dāng)晚,反政府集會領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人、“人民民主改革委員會”秘書長素貼在曼谷街頭發(fā)表公開講話,呼吁軍方成立一個特別部門以保護(hù)示威者的人身安全。 “軍方可以在集會地點(diǎn)附近設(shè)立檢查站,用來搜查武器、提供安全保障?!敝劣跒楹芜x擇向軍方求助,素貼解釋稱:“因為我們不相信警方?!?/p> 素貼懷疑此次襲擊可能是柬埔寨特種作戰(zhàn)部隊所為,他認(rèn)為這些特殊人員被泰國警方高層引入國內(nèi),其目的就是為了對付示威者?!叭嗣竦臋?quán)利和自由受到憲法保護(hù),因此我們希望軍方對此予以重視,保障我們的安全?!辈贿^,素貼強(qiáng)調(diào),他這么做并不是呼吁軍方發(fā)動一場軍事政變。 與此同時,素貼領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的“人民民主改革委員會”厲聲指責(zé)泰國和平及秩序管理中心(CMPO),稱其沒有能力執(zhí)行緊急狀態(tài)法、導(dǎo)致素廷在市中心遇害。該委員會發(fā)言人艾卡納表示,這起惡性事件是在泰國當(dāng)局宣布實施緊急狀態(tài)法后發(fā)生的,所以看守政府總理英拉和勞工部長差林必須對此負(fù)責(zé)。 ***承諾加強(qiáng)安保 針對素貼的訴求,泰國軍方迅速作出回應(yīng)。27日,泰國陸軍發(fā)言人溫泰發(fā)布聲明稱,陸軍總司令巴育對素廷之死深感遺憾,軍方將與泰國和平與秩序管理中心共同合作、加強(qiáng)安保措施。 “一場悲劇發(fā)生了,巴育總司令深感遺憾。他擔(dān)心暴力事件可能繼續(xù)發(fā)生,不希望類似場景再次在泰國社會上演。”溫泰說,巴育總司令將要求泰國和平與秩序管理中心特別關(guān)注可能爆發(fā)暴力沖突的地方、提升當(dāng)?shù)氐陌脖4胧?/p> 溫泰還表示,泰國警方將會跟進(jìn)素廷遇害案,而軍方不希望此事成為新一輪暴力事件的導(dǎo)火索、將會努力解決現(xiàn)存的問題和矛盾。 ***大選或推遲6個月 本月28日下午2時,泰國選舉委員會將與看守政府總理英拉舉行會談,商討是否推遲大選。據(jù)泰國前總理、選舉委員會委員頌猜27日透露,選舉委員會將向英拉提議,把原定于2月2日舉行的大選推遲6個月。 頌猜稱,選舉委員會內(nèi)部27日舉行了一場會議,就第二天與英拉的會談主題進(jìn)行了商討,與會者最終達(dá)成一致,認(rèn)為大選延期不應(yīng)超過6個月。 “我們認(rèn)為這個時間安排是正確的。我們不希望間隔太長,否則這會導(dǎo)致政府在‘看守政府’的位置上待得過久、損害國家利益,畢竟看守政府的權(quán)限有限?!表灢抡f,“與此同時,我們也需要時間來解決社會沖突?!?/p> 相關(guān)閱讀 泰國大選提前投票受阻 當(dāng)局尋求收復(fù)被占領(lǐng)區(qū)域 美國重量級團(tuán)體支持希拉里競選總統(tǒng) 已開始籌款 (歐葉 編輯:信蓮)
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