Thai PM blames army officials for riot deaths

Thaksin Shinawatra held a two-hour meeting Friday with the chairman of the independent commission appointed by the government to investigate the events at the town of Tak Bai, in Narathiwat province, before naming those he believed were to blame for the deaths in military custody of 79 protesters.

"There were three people responsible for the incident: the southern army commander (Lieutenant General Pisarn Wattanaw-ongkeeree); his deputy (Major Sinchai Nussathit); and the Fourth Army area field commander (Major Chalermchai Wirunphecth)."

The three failed to personally oversee all aspects of the incident, which turned into a tragedy when the military detained the protesters, bound their hands behind their backs and loaded them onto military trucks for transport, Thaksin told reporters.