Jitrada Daojang, a mother of two, is one of the many members of the Relatives Committee of the May 1992 Heroes. Even at the time of writing, she still continues to wait for the truth about the disappeared, which has never culminated in any prosecution due to the declaration of an amnesty law. While searching for her disappeared sister, she continues to work for justice, despite the fact that the long-promised compensation from the Thai government has never arrived.
My sister, Pensri Boonsprasert, who was then 25 years old and working as a waitress in a restaurant in Victory Monument, disappeared during the May 1992 Event. She went to work that day. It so happened that the area of the demonstration was near her workplace. There was chaos. Many people who worked in the said area tried to leave. She was one of them, but unfortunately, she disappeared and never came home.
We last saw her on May 17 at 3:00 p.m. before she left the house. A friend of hers told us that they ran out of the restaurant together. But because of the crowd, they got separated. My husband was also present during the incident. He saw her and told her to go back home. But she did not come back. We were worried, but at first, we did not think it was serious.
On May 20, we filed a case with the police. At that time, we still did not think that she disappeared. There were, however, already rumors that people were taken by the authorities. When she did not return after a week, that was when I started to suspect she had indeed, disappeared.
We also filed a case in court. They said that they needed documents for the Ministry of Interior. It was only when this requirement was met would the court investigate the details. Fortunately, the court did announce that my sister had truly disappeared. In truth, many persons disappeared, but only 38 cases were declared to be so.
Then came the announcement from the government of an amnesty law. It was imposed during that same year by Suchinda Kraprayoon just before his resignation and shortly after the May 1992 Event.
In our search for Pensri, we went to the Royal Thai Hotel, in various hospitals and in the Wat Don Temple which was known to be a dumping area of dead bodies. But my sister was nowhere to be found.
Though my sister has long been separated from her husband, she nonetheless had two little boys. The younger one was a year old and the other was aged two (2). They are with me now—an extension of my family. My husband and I treat them as our own.
They do not remember their mother anymore. They were told about what happened when they were two and three years old. The effect on the elder brother is not very obvious. But the younger brother is very quiet and passive. Both boys are in grade 7. They and my own children are like siblings. They grow up together and sleep together.
I go to school for my own children on Mothers’ Day. But since it is the same day, I cannot go for my disappeared sister’s children. If it would not be on the same day, I could go to school for them. When I am not available, nobody will be with them on this day. So, they avoid the area where there is the ceremony and stay in another place. The teacher asked them about their absence, but they just answered that they do not have a mother.
Because my sister was separated from her husband, her children also do not know their father. We tried to trace him, but until now, we do not have any contact with him.
We are mentally affected because of the disappearance of my sister. Financially, we are in a difficult situation. There are many members of our family. It entails a big expense. We stretch our budget to the point that I sometimes just scream because the difficulty is beyond my capacity to bear.
My mother died in a car accident many years ago. My father is 87. He knows what happened to his daughter, but he cannot help because he is already very old. After the incident, he just cried and cried, but was helpless to take any action. Now, he does not mention anything about it anymore.
We cannot forget what really happened. We continue to cry. Financially, we survive day by day. We have not received any financial help from the government at all. There was a call to help the dead. But there was nothing for us. The government did not do anything in our case.
On the other hand, we are grateful to the Children’s Foundation which regularly gives us eight thousand baht (about US$200) per month. But we receive nothing from the government.
On the brighter side, the Thai Commission on Human Rights plays an important role in helping victims of human rights violations. It must however, push for the approval of the International Criminal Court in order to prevent future violations. The other role that the government should play is to create a balance of power among different sectors of society.
I was able to get in touch with the Relatives Committee of the May 1992 Heroes through their hotline service. Krongkarn Suebsaiham, our Secretary-General, was the one who helped us. From then on, we started to work together. We held meetings regularly. The organization gives us hope that someday, we can find my sister and the other disappeared, although I think that Pensri is probably dead by now. Still, the group is able to make our voices louder.
In a way, I am proud to say that my sister and all those who either disappeared or gave up their lives during the May Event are all heroes. Because of their sacrifice, the military’s role in politics has greatly been reduced. Now, it gives us the opportunity to live in a society where fear is no longer the norm.
