FAMILIES LIVE IN TERROR AS 'SUSPECTS' DIE

On Wednesday afternoon, a couple was brutally shot and killed on their way
home after paying a 5,000-baht fine for marijuana use at a police station.

Five minutes later their neighbour was gunned down in his home while the
rest of the family looked on helplessly.

Ten-year-old Anont Montha came running in, only to see his parents, Thanom
Montha and Kwanla Puangchompu, lying in a pool of blood.

The five surviving children of this family were staying with relatives.
They intend to move out and sell the house after today's funeral rite.

Suwit Baison, 23, who is left to take care of his five younger brothers and
sisters, blames the deaths of his parents on the government's do-or-die
drug suppression campaign. ``The most serious flaw of this policy is that
parties must meet the 25% target. What follows then is a `clean-up team'
which goes after those who surrendered to police.''

The TV Channel 11 employee has already asked Prime Minister Thaksin
Shinawatra to intervene, saying his parents were not drug peddlers. He
still fears police will rule it a drug-related killing and close the case.

Ten people in his neighbourhood have "perished'' after surrendering to
police, Boonyung Tangtong, 40, being one of them when nine armed men
stormed into his house on Thursday afternoon.

Boonyung was reportedly taken into his bedroom, where he was shot in the
head and chest. His wife and children, including a two-year-old daughter,
and two relatives were held captive with guns against their heads.

Adirek, his 16-year-old son, is positive it was the work of police. "They
all were wearing name and rank tags around their necks, but they didn't
look familiar. They could have come from other places.''

Mr Boonyung surrendered to police about a year ago and twice took part in
the government's reform programme.

Before the shooting he had reported to the Na Chaliang police station.

"I don't understand why this happened. He gave himself in to police, joined
the reform scheme, tried to prove he could be a good man,'' the son said.
He questioned Mr Thaksin's promise that he would give a chance to those who
wanted to redeem themselves.

"It's too late [to become a reformed man]. You'll only give yourself away
when you report to police,'' he said.