BANGKOK — Police say the alleged stabbing of an ice delivery man by anti-government protest guards was not captured on film because the nearest security camera turned out to be a "dummy" device.

The alleged attack has left the man, identified by his family as Thanakrit, in a coma in Ratchavithi Hospital’s intensive care unit.

According to police, the  security camera installed close to where the attack took place was a "dummy" device placed by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. As a result, there is no footage of the incident, said Pol.Col. Wichai Daengpradap, a senior investigative officer at Phayathai Police Station.

Pol. Col. Wichai said that it will now be very difficult for police to identify the perpetrators, who faces were reportedly masked by balaclavas and scarves. 

According to the victim’s family and witnesses, Mr. Thanakrit was driving his pick-up truck to deliver goods to a customer on Phahonyothin Road last Saturday when he encountered a checkpoint set up by supporters of the People's Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) in front of Channel 5 TV station. 

Mr. Thanakrit reportedly knocked over a traffic cone placed on the road by the PCAD guards. When he attempted to apologise, Mr. Thanakrit was immediately mobbed and stabbed by the guards, said his wife, who was with him at the time of the alleged attack.

His wife, Nanthawadee, met with Phayathai Police yesterday to give testimony to the officers. 

Ms. Nanthawadee, who asked to be identified by first name only out of fear of being targeted, told police that her husband accidentally knocked over the traffic cone because it was raining and he could not see the obstacle on the road. She also denied the accusation that Mr. Thanakrit was drunk or trying to pick a fight with the guards. 

Ms. Nanathawadee left the police station after two hours of interrogation and did not give any interviews with the media.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) installed a number of fake CCTVs in 2009 because of a delay in budget for functioning cameras, former BMA Governor Abhirak Kosayothin said in an interview in 2011. 

In a report published by Matichon, Mr. Abhirak was quoted as saying that all dummy CCTVs would be replaced by real ones once the budget issues were sorted out.

The BMA recently insisted that there are no more fake CCTVs in the city. One BMA official went as far as claiming that anyone who finds a fake CCTV will be rewarded 100,000 baht by the authorities. 

There is no word whether the Phayathai Police will claim the reward. 

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BANGKOK — Thailand’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) will mediate a discussion between representatives of the anti-government protest movement and a German reporter who was allegedly assaulted by the protesters’ guards, a top official said on Wednesday.

The meeting was scheduled for this Friday after freelance journalist Nick Nostitz filed a complaint with the NHRC regarding his alleged attempted abduction by guards from the anti-government People's Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD).

According to Mr. Nostitz, a group of men wearing PCAD guard outfits approached him outside the Constitutional Court on 7 May while he was taking a short break from reporting on the trial of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

After the men identified him as “Nick” and ordered him to visit “Luang Bu,” possibly referring to the monk and core PCAD leader Buddha Issara who maintains a protest site nearby, Mr. Nostitz tried to walk away. When he stood up to leave, the three men reportedly shoved him repeatedly and tried to take him with them. 

“You are the NHRC, so I must complain to you,” Mr. Nostitz said to National Human Rights Commissioner Niran Pitakwachara on Wednesday. “I want to talk to PCAD and ask them why they did this. I want them to understand me.”

After listening to Mr Nostitz’s testimony, Mr. Niran signed the complaint and said the NHRC would hold a meeting between Mr. Nostitz, representatives of PCAD, and the police, scheduled for this Friday.

“We want to arrange an open dialogue between the different sides so they can state the facts in front of me and the Commission,” Mr Niran said. “But here's the important thing I want to stress: the dialogue won't be a debate table or a boxing ring. I won't be a referee. If people want to argue about politics, they will be expelled from the meeting room.”

Mr. Nostitz said he is pleased with the result of the meeting. “I’ve wanted to talk to the PCAD for six months, but they’ve refused,” he said.

Mr. Nostitz was previously attacked by PCAD demonstrators in November, after an activist and former Democrat Party MP urged the crowd to "expel" Mr. Nostitz from the protest site because he was a "Redshirt journalist," an allegation Mr. Nostitz denies.

Mr Nostitz says he has received numerous death threats since the initial incident, and following the abduction attempt last week, he has requested two police officers guard his house at night.

“I’ll never be safe at PDRC rallies,” said Mr. Nostitz. “Even if their leadership orders that no one do anything to me, they won’t be able to control the most militant guards. I know I’ll never be able to go there again.”

Mr. Nostitz, who has worked as a freelance journalist in Thailand for 21 years, said his inability to cover anti-government rallies has crippled his ability to work as a reporter.

“In the last 6 months I’ve basically had hardly any income,” said Mr. Nostitz. “Initially I had several assignments lined up, but I had to cancel them.”

Mr. Nostitz added, “It’s very painful for me because all these years I’ve always been able to report for both sides.”  

Mr. Niran said the NHRC would release a statement today condemning the recent surge of politically-fueled violence and efforts to intimidate the media.

In the past week there have been several grenade attacks on protest sites and one on the home of a Conustitutional Court judge, as well as numerous reports of PCAD guards assaulting innocent bystanders.

This week, anti-government protesters also stormed almost all of Bangkok's state-owned TV stations demanding they broadcast a speech by the group’s leader, Suthep Thaugsuban.

Both PCAD representatives and PCAD guards will be invited to Friday's meeting, an NHRC official said. It’s not immediately clear whether either will accept the invitation.

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BANGKOK — Thailand’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) will mediate a discussion between representatives of the anti-government protest movement and a German reporter who was allegedly assaulted by the protesters’ guards, a top official said on Wednesday.

The meeting was scheduled for this Friday after freelance journalist Nick Nostitz filed a complaint with the NHRC regarding his alleged attempted abduction by guards from the anti-government People's Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD).

According to Mr. Nostitz, a group of men wearing PCAD guard outfits approached him outside the Constitutional Court on 7 May while he was taking a short break from reporting on the trial of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

After the men identified him as “Nick” and ordered him to visit “Luang Bu,” possibly referring to the monk and core PCAD leader Buddha Issara who maintains a protest site nearby, Mr. Nostitz tried to walk away. When he stood up to leave, the three men reportedly shoved him repeatedly and tried to take him with them. 

“You are the NHRC, so I must complain to you,” Mr. Nostitz said to National Human Rights Commissioner Niran Pitakwachara on Wednesday. “I want to talk to PCAD and ask them why they did this. I want them to understand me.”

After listening to Mr Nostitz’s testimony, Mr. Niran signed the complaint and said the NHRC would hold a meeting between Mr. Nostitz, representatives of PCAD, and the police, scheduled for this Friday.

“We want to arrange an open dialogue between the different sides so they can state the facts in front of me and the Commission,” Mr Niran said. “But here's the important thing I want to stress: the dialogue won't be a debate table or a boxing ring. I won't be a referee. If people want to argue about politics, they will be expelled from the meeting room.”

Mr. Nostitz said he is pleased with the result of the meeting. “I’ve wanted to talk to the PCAD for six months, but they’ve refused,” he said.

Mr. Nostitz was previously attacked by PCAD demonstrators in November, after an activist and former Democrat Party MP urged the crowd to "expel" Mr. Nostitz from the protest site because he was a "Redshirt journalist," an allegation Mr. Nostitz denies.

Mr Nostitz says he has received numerous death threats since the initial incident, and following the abduction attempt last week, he has requested two police officers guard his house at night.

“I’ll never be safe at PDRC rallies,” said Mr. Nostitz. “Even if their leadership orders that no one do anything to me, they won’t be able to control the most militant guards. I know I’ll never be able to go there again.”

Mr. Nostitz, who has worked as a freelance journalist in Thailand for 21 years, said his inability to cover anti-government rallies has crippled his ability to work as a reporter.

“In the last 6 months I’ve basically had hardly any income,” said Mr. Nostitz. “Initially I had several assignments lined up, but I had to cancel them.”

Mr. Nostitz added, “It’s very painful for me because all these years I’ve always been able to report for both sides.”  

Mr. Niran said the NHRC would release a statement today condemning the recent surge of political violence and attemps to intimidate the media.

In the past week there have been several grenade attacks on protest sites and one on the home of a Conustitutional Court judge, as well as numerous reports of PCAD guards assaulting innocent bystanders.

This week, anti-government protesters also stormed almost all of Bangkok's state-owned TV stations demanding they broadcast a speech by the group’s leader, Suthep Thaugsuban.

Both PCAD representatives and PCAD guards will be invited to Friday's meeting, an NHRC official said. It’s not immediately clear whether either will accept the invitation.

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