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Published on March 13, 2008

Heated words were exchanged over the handling of the suspect arrested on charges of selling pirated CDs in the Prachachuen area.

Accounts from eyewitnesses on Tuesday night pointed to unnecessary roughness on the part of the two police officers - an understatement, indeed, considering the fact that a soldier, Chaivudh Prasobsri, was shot dead. Vichit Eurpher-kang, a colleague of Chaivudh, accused police officer Prasart Chanthima of extra-judicial killing. But Prasart said Chaivudh was armed and that he fired in self-defence.

The evening saw hundreds of soldiers gather in front of the Prachachern Police Station demanding a full and thorough investigation against the killing of their brother-in-arms.

Throughout yesterday, as the local press continued to run stories on the incident, it was clear the anger on the soldiers' side has yet to subside. And it probably won't anytime soon.For the soldiers, it is seen as being kicked in the head when you're down. The shooting took place in an area not far from an installation of the Armed Forces Supreme Command Headquarters.

Moreover, given the fact that fake goods and pirated CDs and DVDs were being sold in the area, the possibility that the killing could be connected to elements in a turf war has not been ruled out.

But turf war or no turf war, the demonstration staged by the soldiers at the police station suggested that the ill-feeling was over much more than a dispute about pocket money for men in uniform - men with a history of moonlighting in various shady occupations in Bangkok. It also reflects the historical animosity between the two agencies - the Army and the police - whose relationship is shaped by mistrust and bickering. The two have historically been at odds over just about everything under the sun.

The Tuesday-night shooting and the death of the soldier just a stone's throw from the Armed Forces Supreme Command's installation at Prachacheurn Road, marked the latest outburst between the two agencies. But while the small fry are the ones who pull the triggers and take the punches, the top echelons of the two institutions are not entirely out of the loop. They are driven more by inflated egos rather than a genuine desire to work for the public; the security interests of the nation are hardly their highest priority.

The spitting contest a few years ago between a controversial Army officer, Maj General Kithiya Sawathipol, also known as Sae Daeng, and the then police chief Pol General Sant Suruthanond, is a case in point. When the police were required to arrest Sae Daeng on a charge of defamation, Sae Daeng refused to remove his military uniform. He did it on purpose because he knew the psychological impact this could have - a highly decorated cavalry general fully dressed in his uniform being manhandled by a group of police officers who were disrespecting not just him, but the entire Royal Thai Army. For the record, the police did ask him to change into a civilian outfit. Sae Daeng refused.

A few years back, a similar incident occurred when police stormed in on Maj Chalermchai Matchaklam, known as "Poophan Tueng", wanted for the killing of a provincial governor. He, too, would not take off his uniform, probably for the same reason as Sae Daeng.

In both cases, it is clear that the institution of the Army itself was being exploited for personal gain. Sadly, many of the Army's top brass complained about the fact that the two men were dragged out while in their uniforms. What is disturbing is the fact that the top brass couldn't and wouldn't look beyond the surface and see the incidents for what they were - two alleged lawbreakers being arrested.

But while the military top brass have their ego problem, the arrest of Pol Captain Nat Chonnithiwanit and seven other members of the 41st Border Patrol Police (BPP) unit in Bangkok on January 25 was nothing less than a testimony to a chronic failure on the part the police force. It also raised the question of accountability. The officers were arrested for serious offences committed over the past three years. The charges include criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, forced intrusion, threatening others with weapons, detaining others, and abducting minors under the age of 15. And instead of encouraging people to come forward, the then police chief, Pol General Seripisut Themeyavej, threatened such witnesses with legal action. This is something better left unsaid, as it is well understood that making false allegations against police officers is a crime.