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Killing cheaper than vote buying
Police say politics is again becoming lethal
Vicious attacks on two local politicians in Prachin Buri and Nonthaburi on the same day last week, leaving one dead, heralds violence in the coming election as political rivals eliminate opponents in a desperate bid to win office, police said.
Both victims - one was severely injured and the other killed - were known to have been on their political opponents' hit lists.
Police said they believed the attacks were politically motivated, although they have not completely ruled out business conflicts.
Since the government announced its plan to call an election in the first half of this year, reports about attempts on the lives of members of tambon administration organisations and local municipalities have increased, police said.
The March 2 attacks on Anon Jaroensuk in Prachin Buri and on Kowit Charoennontasit in Nonthaburi have fortified police belief that election-related violence had already begun.
Mr Anon is head of Ta Tum tambon administration and secretary of Social Action Party MP for Prachin Buri Chayut Pummakanjana. He was seriously hurt when a bomb planted in a car in which he was a passenger went off in front of a school in Si Maha Phot district.
Kowit was Bang Bua Thong municipality mayor. He was shot and killed in front of his house in Bang Bua Thong district at 9pm.
Chatchai Rianmek, deputy chief of the centre of investigation under the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said killing politicians during the lead-up to an election was a common tactic to eliminate opponents.
"It's an inexpensive investment," Pol Col Chatchai said. "Gunmen are usually hired at between 100,000 and 300,000 baht, depending on how difficult the job is, while vote buying requires at least 5-10 million baht."
He said money played a major part in the assassination of local politicians.
Pol Col Chatchai said state budgets granted to certain local administrative bodies tempted "businessmen" to enter politics and they chose the cheap assassination option to secure power which they later abuse.
Violent crimes grow out of economic reasons, he said.
Police are also to be blamed because of their ineffective crackdown on the crimes.
He said police recognise the cause of the violence. Stricter measures to curb crimes against local politicians were underway since March 7.
Deputy national police chief Panupong Singhara na Ayudhya ordered officers to update the list of gunmen countrywide. He also ordered police to update information about firearms possessed by suspected gunmen, canvassers and politicians.
Police should also make use of their knowledge of conflicts among political rivals to prevent violence, Pol Col Prayon Lasuea, chief of centre of investigation under Provincial Police Region3 said.
However, police measures against the politically-related crimes should not be carried out only during the period leading to an election, said Kamronwit Thoopkrajang, deputy chief of Provincial Police Region1.
"We will miss the point if we think so," he said.
It is the duty of police to gather information about crimes and their development all the time.
In the area under his supervision, he ordered officers to compile information of people likely to be in conflict with one another as well as records of election results, especially in areas of close competition.
The information will be analysed to find ways to prevent the crimes, Pol Maj Gen Kamronwit said.
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