ID :
369979
Thu, 06/04/2015 - 15:22
Auther :

Thai DPM:Legal action will be taken to all involving in human trafficking

BANGKOK, June 4 (TNA) - Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, who oversees national security, confirms that legal action will be equally taken against all those found guilty of involving in human trafficking, including that of Rohingya migrants. General Prawit, who is also Defence Minister and Chief Advisor to the Thai army-led National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), made the confirmation in a special interview with Thai News Agency (TNA) on Thursday, stressing that authorities who are found guilty of human trafficking-related issues, including those in the Royal Thai Armed Forces, will also be taken disciplinary action. Meanwhile, police sought the first detention period for army specialist Lieutenant General Manas Khongpaen, who faced an arrest warrant in a Rohingya trafficking case and turned himself in at the Royal Thai Police Office in Bangkok on June 3, after the police have had him in custody in Songkhla Province in the Thai South for about 20 hours following his surrender to the national police chief in Bangkok. The police brought the key suspect in the Rohingya trafficking case to Songkhla's Na Thawi provincial court to seek the longer detention amid tight security measures. Like other 51 suspects in the same case, Lieutenant General Manas has faced 13 charges, including human trafficking, smuggling and detention of migrants, physical assaults, body concealment, transnational crime and kidnapping for ransom, but he denied all the charges during questioning throughout Wednesday night and interrogators opposed his temporary release on bail. Some 3-4 more suspects have reportedly involved in the same case. Also on June 3, Commanding General of the 4th Army Area Command Lieutenant General Prakarn Cholayuth told TNA that Thai Army Chief General Udomdej Sitabutr, who is also Deputy Defence Minister, has ordered him to question Lieutenant General Manas and the military will, thus, seek the army suspect from the police for the purpose. The 4th army area commander explained that there is an agreement between the Ministry of Defence and the Royal Thai Police that the military can ask police to send any military suspect for a probe under the military process instead. (TNA)

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