A key factor continues to elude those on a quest for the truth behind the tragic death of ethnic Lahu activist Chaiyaphum Pasae — missing evidence.
Chaiyaphum was gunned down by a soldier at a checkpoint on March 17 last year. The 3rd Army Region, which oversees the area, stands by its claim that Chziyaphum had 2,800 methamphetamine pills in his possession. It says that while attempting to escape, he threw a hand grenade at the soldiers, and one of those soldiers shot him in “self-defence”. But CCTV footage that recorded the moment when the activist met his untimely death has never been released.
A number of people, especially those who used to work with Chaiyaphum, refuse to believe the army's claims. Their demands for the footage to be released have never been met. On Monday, lawyers for the activist’s family urged army chief Chalermchai Sitthisad to hand over the footage. Their call was in response to a ruling made by the Chiang Mai Provincial Court which went ahead with an inquest without seeing the footage — a vital piece of evidence.
