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Suchinda welcomes release of invest



Subject: Suchinda welcomes release of investigation report 



June 30, 1999 


BLACK MAY


Suchinda welcomes release of investigation report


Classmates accept findings over golf

Wassana Nanuam


Gen Suchinda Kraprayoon welcomed yesterday the release of the summary of the
Black May 1992 report which faulted the military in the crushing of
pro-democracy demonstrators.


The general, who was prime minister at the time and the focal point of the
protest, had followed closely the Defence Council's decision on calls for
disclosure of the investigation.


He had bought many newspapers and read them for details, a source said.


Gen Suchinda felt the disclosure, albeit only the eight-page summary, would
serve as a lesson to soldiers. He had laughed while reading press reports of
the role of a "third hand" in the bloodshed.
He accepted the mistakes mentioned in the report and was willing to face any
consequences from the disclosure.


The source said Gen Suchinda played golf with colleagues from Chulachomklao
Royal Military Academy's Class 5 yesterday. They accepted the findings of a
panel led by Gen Pichit Kullavanijaya, former deputy permanent secretary for
defence.


Gen Surayud Chulanont, the army chief, said the mistakes of May 1992 showed
clearly that the military should steer clear of politics and embrace
democracy.


Gen Pichit had suggested in the report that soldiers should abandon the notion
that the country should be ruled by the military, he noted. Soldiers are now
bringing their thinking into line with the new constitution, Gen Surayud said.


The army chief said the soldiers without training in riot control who were
brought in from the provinces were not to be blamed because they were
following
orders from their commanders.
The full, 600-page report was now with the defence information committee,
which
is considering if it could be released in its entirety.


Adm Theera Haocharoen, the navy chief, said the disclosure meant that military
personnel should no longer be regarded in a negative way. He and his
counterparts in the other services had not read the full report and had no
idea
whether it should be disclosed.



Relatives of people killed or missing in Black May have denounced the release
of the summary as an empty gesture and are demanding full disclosure.


Their calls have been backed by Chaturon Chaisaeng, the New Aspiration
secretary-general, who felt the summary to be insufficient.


The government could not cite national security in withholding the full report
unless an agency of the state had lodged a formal objection.


"The prime minister is insincere," said the former student activist. "How can
he know that the summary is correct? He has no reason to keep from the people
information which is very important to democratic development. It is a way to
prevent a recurrence," he added.

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© Copyright The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. 1999
Last Modified: Wed, Jun 30, 1999
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