Senate panels on Tuesday found the government and police guilty of violating human rights for the crackdown on the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) on October 7.
The Senate committee on human rights, freedom and consumer protection chairman Somchai Sawaengkarn said violent crowd dispersal tactics - which left two people killed and more than 400 people injured - could have been avoided.
Mr Somchai also said government officials could have used alternative routes to enter parliament while meetings could have been postponed or relocated.
“The committee sees that the incidents reflected the guilty party’s lack of discretion and their inappropriateness of using weapons to disperse people,” the senator said.
He added the actions carried out by the police followed the cabinet’s resolution on October 6 to allow the government to announce its policy at the parliament as scheduled. Therefore, the government and the Royal Thai Police must be responsible for the damage done.
“Police officers did not negotiate with the protesters but instead used tear-gas canisters and rubber bullets against them, causing many injuries. Their acts infringed on the Declaration of Human Rights and were more than necessary,” Mr Somchai said.
Mr Somchai said a budget consideration of 56 million baht for victims was inadequate and unjust.
Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said he had not yet learned about the conclusion of the fact-finding committees and insisted the government would seek further evidence and conclusions of the October 7 events.
"We would like to see scientific proof," Mr Somchai told reporters. "So far, no one has been given us the conclusion."

By Bangkok Post Agencies

Nov 12, 2008