BANGKOK, March 20 (Xinhua) -- The recent killing of an ethnic activist by an army officer in northern Thailand was entirely in self defense, said the army spokesman on Monday.
Col. Winthin Suvaree said the army officer gunned down Chaiyapum Pasae, a 21-year-old activist of Lahu hill tribe, because the young man was about to hurl a hand grenade at a group of soldiers.
A task force of the Fifth Cavalry Regiment in Chiang Dao district of Chiang Mai Province set up a road checkpoint last Friday and found Chaiyapum riding in a car with 2,800 methamphetamine pills moments before he ran away and then turned around with the hand grenade, the army spokesman said.
The activist and the driver of the car were evidently faced with drug trafficking charges, Col Winthai said.
"The army officer was forced to use his firearm in self defense and kill Chaiyapum," he said.
Chaiyapum was known as a young activist calling for human rights of the ethnic people and those who have not been given Thai nationalities in the northern region of the country.
