Somchai Neelapaijit

At the time of his disappearance, Somchai represented five Muslim suspects allegedly involved in an army camp raid in Narathiwat in January 2004. The incident triggered the interminable unrest in far south Thailand. Somchai, who had worked in the legal profession for 30 years, was outspoken in his call for the army to end martial law, imposed in January 2004, in the region. martial law remains in effect in Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat. In 2006, the Criminal Court sentenced Pol Maj Ngern Thongsuk of the Crime Suppression Division to three years in jail for his connection with Somchai's disappearance. Four other suspects, all policemen accused of robbery and illegal use of force, were acquitted. Pol Maj Ngern later disappeared. His family testified that he died in a landslide accident. The court declared him a missing person. ==Prime minister acknowledges official involvement==

In 2014 the Bangkok Post reported: "In January 2006, the court acquitted four of the accused but convicted Pol Major Ngern of the relatively minor charge of coercion. Then-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra made a significant statement a day after the court verdict acknowledging that Somchai was dead and government officials were implicated". ==Status of the case==

The investigation into Somchai's fate was launched in 2004. The last location where there was a reported sighting of him was at Chaleena Princess Hotel, located in Soi Mahatthai, also known as Soi Ramkhamhaeng 65, which serves as a shortcut connecting Ramkhamhaeng Road and Lat Phrao Road via Soi Lat Phrao 112. His wife in 2009 published an account of the efforts made by her, legal advisors, and NGOs on Somchai's behalf. , the thirteenth anniversary of his disappearance, he is suspected to be dead. In late-2013 the DSI said the police file of the case had gone missing, but later claimed it had been found. the status of the case and even which department is handling it was unknown. In 2016 Department of Special Investigation (DSI) "declared the case closed, saying no culprits have been found". ==See also==