泰国示威者领导人丧生 大选或推迟半年

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.

综合外国媒体1月27日报道，泰国一名反政府示威领导人中枪身亡后，反政府集会领袖素贴公开发声，呼吁军方介入、保护示威者安全。另外，知情人士透露，泰国选举委员会希望大选推迟6个月。

***寻求军方保护

26日下午两点左右，泰国反政府集会核心成员素廷在曼谷邦纳区一投票站头部中枪丧生，另有10人受伤。

这起暴力事件引发泰国社会各界的广泛关注。当晚，反政府集会领导人、“人民民主改革委员会”秘书长素贴在曼谷街头发表公开讲话，呼吁军方成立一个特别部门以保护示威者的人身安全。

“军方可以在集会地点附近设立检查站，用来搜查武器、提供安全保障。”至于为何选择向军方求助，素贴解释称：“因为我们不相信警方。”

素贴怀疑此次袭击可能是柬埔寨特种作战部队所为，他认为这些特殊人员被泰国警方高层引入国内，其目的就是为了对付示威者。“人民的权利和自由受到宪法保护，因此我们希望军方对此予以重视，保障我们的安全。”不过，素贴强调，他这么做并不是呼吁军方发动一场军事政变。

与此同时，素贴领导的“人民民主改革委员会”厉声指责泰国和平及秩序管理中心

***承诺加强安保

针对素贴的诉求，泰国军方迅速作出回应。27日，泰国陆军发言人温泰发布声明称，陆军总司令巴育对素廷之死深感遗憾，军方将与泰国和平与秩序管理中心共同合作、加强安保措施。

“一场悲剧发生了，巴育总司令深感遗憾。他担心暴力事件可能继续发生，不希望类似场景再次在泰国社会上演。”温泰说，巴育总司令将要求泰国和平与秩序管理中心特别关注可能爆发暴力冲突的地方、提升当地的安保措施。

温泰还表示，泰国警方将会跟进素廷遇害案，而军方不希望此事成为新一轮暴力事件的导火索、将会努力解决现存的问题和矛盾。

***大选或推迟6个月

本月28日下午2时，泰国选举委员会将与看守政府总理英拉举行会谈，商讨是否推迟大选。据泰国前总理、选举委员会委员颂猜27日透露，选举委员会将向英拉提议，把原定于2月2日举行的大选推迟6个月。

颂猜称，选举委员会内部27日举行了一场会议，就第二天与英拉的会谈主题进行了商讨，与会者最终达成一致，认为大选延期不应超过6个月。

“我们认为这个时间安排是正确的。我们不希望间隔太长，否则这会导致政府在‘看守政府’的位置上待得过久、损害国家利益，毕竟看守政府的权限有限。”颂猜说，“与此同时，我们也需要时间来解决社会冲突。”