Pheu Thai to vote on Gen Pisal’s future

The Pheu Thai Party board will vote on Tuesday on whether to expel Gen Pisal Wattanawongkiri, a party-list MP who was in charge of the Fourth Army Region during the 2004 Tak Bai massacre.
Somkid Chueakong, the prime minister’s deputy secretary-general for political affairs, said on Monday that the party has attempted to persuade Gen Pisal to follow legal procedures since the Narathiwat Provincial Court issued an arrest warrant against him.
He said the party’s board meeting will take place this evening to discuss Gen Pisal’s fate in the party.
“Personally, I believe that the Pheu Thai Party should expel him because this is a personal issue of Gen Pisal that has been around for a long time. Pheu Thai is trying to maintain its status as a political party and will not allow anyone to do wrong,” he said.
He said Gen Pisal might resign before the board meets on Tuesday, as he knew that the party and Gen Pisal had discussed the matter, but he did not know who had contacted him.
When asked if Prime Minister Paethongtarn Shinawatra, the party leader, had given any instructions on this matter, Mr Somkid said there had been no instructions because the premier’s schedule was tight and she had not spoken to anyone. He insisted that it was a personal issue of Gen Pisal and that it should not impact the party. The Tak Bai massacre occurred on Oct 25, 2004, when security forces dispersed a rally in front of the police station in Tak Bai district. The protesters were calling for the release of six detainees. Seven demonstrators died at the scene, and 78 others later died from suffocation or organ failure while being transported in trucks to a military camp 140 kilometres away. The 20-year statute on the Tak Bai case expires on Oct 25.
Gen Pisal, one of the key men involved in the incident, filed a leave of absence from the House until Oct 30, five days after the limitations expire.
People’s Party leader and opposition leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut said that the most crucial thing is for Pheu Thai to show that it has the political will to help bring Gen Pisal into the justice process.
“The public will wonder whether the government has done its utmost while the case has not expired. The government has many mechanisms to send Gen Pisal to face the charges,” he said
Prinya Thaewanarumitkul, director of the Law Centre at Thammasat University, said the government’s failure to bring to justice those accused of being responsible for the 85 deaths in the tragedy could deal a significant blow to the prime minister, her administration and Pheu Thai.
“If the case is not handled transparently, it will affect [the prime minister],” said Asst Prof Prinya. “What the public is watching is the stance of the government and Pheu Thai on this matter.”
Ms Paetongtarn has full authority to direct police to arrest those accused under arrest warrants. Under the law, the prime minister directly supervises the police force. A total of 14 people have been named and accused of responsibility for the massacre. It occurred when Thaksin Shinawatra, Ms Paetongarn’s father, was the prime minister.