Nakrop: Five-year-old boy pays respectsSeveral thousand red shirts have united for the first time since their protest was broken up on May 19 to mourn the death of their "heroic fighter", army specialist Khattiya Sawasdipol.
Supporters of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) flooded Wat Sommanat yesterday with bitterness, resentment and anger about the death of the red shirt security chief, better known as Seh Daeng, as well as the deaths of other red shirt supporters during the military operation to disperse their rallies.
"It's our reunion," said Rasamee Wisawan, a UDD supporter who was waiting in a long queue to pay her respects to the hard-line leader at the royally sponsored cremation.
"For me, it's like we are at the funeral for all the deaths. Seh Daeng represents our dead brothers and sisters."
The government's imposition of the emergency decree means it is difficult for red shirt protesters to gather like this, she said.
"He was a good man who fought alongside us," said a taxi driver in his thirties. "He was one of our fellows who shared the same goal."
It is hard to estimate how many people gathered at the funeral. But UDD supporters from all walks of life occupied almost everywhere they could in the temple ground, causing congested traffic as they queued up. Some fainted.
They angrily exchanged remarks about the government's claim that terrorists mingled among the protesters and then used this as justification to use force to disperse the crowd.
Seh Daeng, 58, was shot in the head on May 13 while being interviewed by a reporter. He died four days later.
Two days after his death, the military moved in to break up the red shirt protest around their mainstage at Ratchaprasong intersection.
Ninety people were killed in Bangkok and other provinces and more than 1,800 injured during two military operations — on April 10, and from May 14 to 19 — to break up the rallies.
Many at the cremation said they would not accept the government's reconciliation plan.
"If the government wants reconciliation, it should stop producing false accusations against us and stop hunting down red shirt supporters," Sakol Nuchit, 42, said.
A long, white piece of cloth was provided on awall at the templefor mourners to express their feeling for Seh Daeng.
"We will continue to fight and won't let your death be meaningless," read one message. "You are brave for us" and "You are a hero and a fighter", read others.
The cremation yesterday was attended by red shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan and former leader of the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai Party Chaturon Chaisaeng.
One of Maj Gen Khattiya's two daughters, Khattiyaa, said she and her sister were still traumatised by their father's death.
She said she was not sure authorities would be able to find out who killed her father but she would cooperate with the police.
She is now trying to gather whatever evidence she can and understands that the police's inquiries will not be easy as there has been so little detail revealed about the killing.
"I have already moved out of my father's house at the military compound and I am moving on with my life without both my mother and father," she said.
"I believe my father would appreciate seeing the number of red shirts here today. It proves who the real hero is."
Ms Khattiyaa refused to talk about a five-year-old boy who was brought to the funeral by a woman who claimed Seh Daeng was his father. Ms Khattiyaa said she had not known about him.
The boy, Nakrop, which means "warrior", arrived at the funeral with his mother yesterday to pay his final respects to the late general.
News: Bangkokpost
Published: 23/06/2010 at 12:28 AM
About the author
Writer: Surasak Glahan
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