Pubdate: Sun, 11 Jul 2004
Source: Nation, The (Thailand)
Copyright: 2004 Nation Multimedia Group
Contact:  http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1963

DRUG RAID: Kin want probe into son's jail death

Doubt cast on initial autopsy citing respiratory failure in wake of 
commando assault on house in Ayutthaya

The couple whose Ayutthaya house was raided on suspicion of producing 
illegal drugs will ask the Forensic Institute to conduct an autopsy on the 
body of their son, as they suspect he was murdered in prison, family member 
said yesterday.

Adisorn Satakurama served terms in Bangkok Special Prison on a theft 
offence and died on Friday, two days after 50 commandos sprayed bullets 
into his parents' house.

Adisorn had also been convicted of processing heroin and faced a suspended 
jail term in 2002.

Justice Minister Pongthep Thepkanchana yesterday insisted Adisorn had died 
of an immune-system malfunction.

Pongthep said Adisorn had been treated as a sick prisoner ever since he had 
been in jail, after a physical check-up revealed he suffered from an immune 
system malfunction.

"Whether he was silenced in prison, I couldn't say: we are still probing to 
find the truth. But the fact of the matter is he died of disease, and there 
is proof of that,'' Pongthep said.

Kanittha Satakurama, younger sister of Adisorn, said that after checking 
the body of her brother, her family had decided to ask the Forensic Science 
Institute to conduct another autopsy today.

"There were several suspicious points. His hip bone seemed to be broken,'' 
she said.

Forensic Science Institute deputy director Khunying Pornthip Rojanasunant 
confirmed that Adisorn's family had requested the autopsy.

Maj-General Kosin Hinthao, Crime Suppression Division commander, said that 
Dr Pisit Thammasuriya, who conducted the first autopsy on Adisorn, had 
cited respiratory-system failure as the cause of death. He added that if 
the family wanted the record of their son's physical check-ups while in 
prison he would be ready to assist them.

Nissai Satakurama, Adisorn's father, said he did not know his son had been 
jailed until yesterday, when he saw the family crying upon receiving news 
of the death. He admitted he had not been close to his son and had only 
seen him once in six months.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said he had assigned Deputy Prime 
Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh to look into the probe over the 
controversial raid, which has been strongly criticised and deemed a 
human-rights violation.

Piyanuch Thamnukasetchai

WIRIYA SATHIRAKUL
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