泰國示威者領導人喪生 大選或推遲半年

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.綜合外國媒體1月27日報道，泰國一名反政府示威領導人中槍身亡後，反政府集會領袖素貼公開發聲，呼籲軍方介入、保護示威者安全。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

26日下午兩點左右，泰國反政府集會核心成員素廷在曼谷邦納區一投票站頭部中槍喪生，另有10人受傷。

這起暴力事件引發泰國社會各界的廣泛關注。當晚，反政府集會領導人、“人民民主改革委員會”祕書長素貼在曼谷街頭髮表公開講話，呼籲軍方成立一個特別部門以保護示威者的人身安全。

“軍方可以在集會地點附近設立檢查站，用來搜查武器、提供安全保障。”至於爲何選擇向軍方求助，素貼解釋稱：“因爲我們不相信警方。”

素貼懷疑此次襲擊可能是柬埔寨特種作戰部隊所爲，他認爲這些特殊人員被泰國警方高層引入國內，其目的就是爲了對付示威者。“人民的權利和自由受到憲法保護，因此我們希望軍方對此予以重視，保障我們的安全。”不過，素貼強調，他這麼做並不是呼籲軍方發動一場軍事政變。

與此同時，素貼領導的“人民民主改革委員會”厲聲指責泰國和平及秩序管理中心（CMPO），稱其沒有能力執行緊急狀態法、導致素廷在市中心遇害。該委員會發言人艾卡納表示，這起惡性事件是在泰國當局宣佈實施緊急狀態法後發生的，所以看守政府總理英拉和勞工部長差林必須對此負責。

***承諾加強安保

針對素貼的訴求，泰國軍方迅速作出迴應。27日，泰國陸軍發言人溫泰發佈聲明稱，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、加強安保措施。

“一場悲劇發生了，巴育總司令深感遺憾。他擔心暴力事件可能繼續發生，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注可能爆發暴力衝突的地方、提升當地的安保措施。

溫泰還表示，泰國警方將會跟進素廷遇害案，而軍方不希望此事成爲新一輪暴力事件的導火索、將會努力解決現存的問題和矛盾。

***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，把原定於2月2日舉行的大選推遲6個月。

頌猜稱，選舉委員會內部27日舉行了一場會議，就第二天與英拉的會談主題進行了商討，與會者最終達成一致，認爲大選延期不應超過6個月。

“我們認爲這個時間安排是正確的。我們不希望間隔太長，否則這會導致政府在‘看守政府’的位置上待得過久、損害國家利益，畢竟看守政府的權限有限。”頌猜說，“與此同時，我們也需要時間來解決社會衝突。”