South-East Asia (Page 372)

The Royal Thai Police (RTP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with public health agencies to target people with psychological disorders and help them get access to the medical treatment they need.

Pol Gen Kitrat Phanphet, deputy national police chief, said the number of attacks by people suffering from such disorders are likely to keep growing. Data shows that there are an average of 21,000 such attacks a year.

Opas Karnkawinpong, permanent secretary for public health, said the MoU will help them and their families get the proper medical treatment and welfare for basic healthcare.

Atchariya Pangma, secretary-general of the National Institute for Emergency Medicine, said such people are prone to self-destructive actions and may harm others.

The MoU will improve preventive measures, pre-hospital care, in-hospital care and inter-facility transfer for those who are mentally unstable.

Pump prices will not be raised for ten days during the New Year holiday, according to PTT Oil and Retail Business Plc (OR) president and chief executive Disathat Panyarachun.

He said the prices will remain unchanged from Dec 24-Jan 2 in spite of the global price surge, adding that pump prices will be lowered if the global prices drop.

He also said the company’s petrol stations and depots will have adequate supplies for holiday travellers.

Justice Minister Pol Col Tawee Sodsong has defended a new regulation that allows for the detention of inmates outside of prison, which could benefit convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

He said the new rule is in line with the law and international practices. Pol Col Tawee said the Department of Corrections (DOC) last Friday issued the new rule in line with the Corrections Act B.E. 2560 (2017), which is an amended version of the old Corrections Act B.E. 2475 (1932).

The old law had been on the books for a long time, and some of its provisions did not comply with the current criminal management system and international practices regarding the treatment of prisoners, Pol Col Tawee said.

The old law did not allow for the detention of prisoners outside prison, and this did not help with the rehabilitation of prisoners and prison management, he said.

“The country’s correctional standards were given low ratings in terms of human rights partly because of prison overcrowding,” he said.

Last Friday, Sahakarn Phetnarin, deputy permanent secretary for justice and the DOC’s acting director-general issued the new regulation and informed all provincial governors about the matter.

All eyes will now be on whether it will benefit Thaksin, who was recently sentenced to eight years in three cases and then immediately transferred to a police hospital.

Under the new regulation, prisoners allowed to be detained outside prison must meet certain requirements stipulated by the DOC and be categorised by a screening panel set up by the department.

The venues for detaining them may include houses or buildings with registered addresses.

Thaksin, 74, returned to Thailand on Aug 22 after 15 years of self-imposed exile. He was sent from Bangkok Remand Prison to the Police General Hospital that night for health reasons and has remained there since.

Pichit Chaimongkol, leader of the Network of Students and People Reforming Thailand, said that under the new rule, it is very likely that Thaksin will never spend a single day in jail.

“The new rule is even worse than the blanket amnesty bill [pushed by the Yingluck Shinawatra administration in 2013],” he said.

At the time, the ruling Pheu Thai Party’s bid to pass the amnesty bill ignited mass demonstrations by the now-defunct People’s Democratic Reform Committee, which blasted the legislation as a legal whitewash for Thaksin.

More than 16,000 speed pills and 1 kilogramme of ketamine were seized, and six people were arrested in a crackdown targeting small-time pushers in Bangkok, police said.

The operation was the second of its kind and targeted small-scale drug vendors in 50 areas in the six districts of Bang Kae, Nong Khaem, Bang Bon, Bang Khunthian, Phasicharoen and Chom Thong.

A total of 16,143 methamphetamine pills, 1,006.64 grammes of ketamine, 3.62 grammes of “ice”, and 200 ecstasy pills were confiscated in the raids. Assets worth 543,000 baht were seized for examination.

Six people were arrested on charges of distributing narcotic drugs, while seven were taken into custody for rehabilitation.

Pol Lt Gen Panurat Lakboon, assistant national police chief, said the crackdown was in line with the government’s policy to urgently combat drug trafficking. Similar operations will be launched nationwide to keep communities safe.

10 fugitives sent to Mae Sai police

A total of 111 Thais who had been stranded in Laukkaing town in Myanmar’s northern Shan State were brought home via the 2nd Thailand-Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district yesterday.

Col Thura Zaw Lwin Soe, tactical operation commander of Tachileik, handed the 111 returnees over to Thai authorities.

Upon reaching Mae Sai, they were greeted by Col Natee Timsen, commander of the Thap Chao Tak Task Force of the Pha Muang Force and chair of the Thailand-Myanmar Township Border Committee, and other Thai officials.

Col Natee said Myanmar was delighted to help the return of Thais affected by the conflict with rebels in the north.

He also thanked the Myanmar army for helping the repatriation.

The group of 111 returnees is the fourth group of Thais repatriated over land from Myanmar, he said, noting this signifies strong relations between the Myanmar and Thai armies.

After going through the disease screening and immigration process, officials said 10 of the returnees — eight men and two women — had arrest warrants and were subsequently handed over to Mae Sai police.

The rest were taken to temporary shelters in tambon Rim Kok in Muang district, where a total of 67 men were sent to the Chiang Rai Volunteer Defence Corps, and a total of 34 women were sent to the New Life Centre Foundation for questioning following their repatriation.

One of the Thai returnees told reporters via the Line mobile chat application that they were from the northeastern region. They saw a job advertisement on Facebook for a website administrator in Mae Sai of Chiang Rai in July, he said, noting it offered 20,000 baht per month.

However, upon arriving in Mae Sai in July, they were brought to Tachileik in Myanmar and sold to a Chinese gang, he said. The gang allegedly forced the Thai nationals to scam people online and come up with 90,000 baht each.

The Thai nationals were allegedly detained without food and tortured if they could not reach the target.

About 500 Chinese nationals were also lured to work for the gang, the returnee said.

They were finally rescued in November by Chinese forces and members of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, he said.

Kanchana Patarachoke, Director-General of the Department of Information and Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, yesterday said that so far, 414 Thais have been evacuated from Myanmar, with 307 in November and 107 earlier this month.

Police say duo set up ‘academy’ to attract youngsters and videotaped sex acts

A football coach and a sponsor have been arrested on charges of sexually abusing boys and videotaping sex acts.

Somporn Phorwanphang, 49, a coach who was also a civil servant attached to a district agricultural office, was arrested on Thursday along with Maj Kiartisart Akkharamontri, 64, a retired military officer, said Pol Maj Gen Saruti Khwaengsopha, commander of the police Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD). He did not provide details on where the suspects were arrested.

The arrests were made after parents of the victims sought help from the Pavena Foundation for Women and Children. Police began gathering evidence after being alerted by the foundation, and arrest warrants were subsequently sought.

The two suspects had set up a group called SP Academy to financially support a school football team. Many boys applied to play under the sponsorship of the group, said Pol Col Sarawut Chantawong, chief of ATPD sub-division 3.

The coach and the sponsor then persuaded some young players they liked to stay with them at their houses and in other provinces where football matches were held. Police say the suspects sexually abused those boys, some as young as 10 years old. They also made videos of the sex acts, said Pol Col Sarawut.

The number of boys victimised was not disclosed.

The investigation is being expanded to find out whether the videos were disseminated online to others, he added.

During questioning, the suspects confessed to all charges, police said. They were charged with sexually abusing children aged under 13, performing obscene acts with children under 13, luring children aged under 15 for obscene acts, depriving children of parental care and related offences.

Paveena Hongsakul, the founder of the foundation, said her staff took the victims for health check-ups and the results showed that they had been sexually abused. 

Police and Paveena Hongsakul, founder of the Pavena Foundation for Women and Children, hold a press conference to announce the arrest of a football coach and sponsor charged with sexually abusing boys. (Photo supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham)