Further doubt was cast on the efficacy of the controversial GT200 explosive detector yesterday when panelists at a symposium at Chulongkorn University's Faculty of Science concluded it was almost certainly a "hoax" and urged people in society to be more scientifically minded.
Meanwhile, Chulalongkorn molecular biologist Jessada Boripant, who "exposed" the device purchased by both the Thai Army and police, said an independent body was needed to avoid similar problems with future purchases of complicated technological equipment.
"I think [it's not intentional corruption] but ignorance. It's a great hoax. Our society doesn't question it as long as the users appear. Our society relies on superstition," Jessada told The Nation.
The scientist said he and colleagues in the Wahkor Internet Scientific Group would closely monitor the upcoming examination process of the GT200 bomb detector and if something unusual occurred they would let the public know.
At the symposium, Tiraphan Wilaithong, a physicist from the Centre for Excellence in Physics, said there was only a "one out of a billion or out of 10 billion" chance the GT200 would function as intended.
Asst Prof Pong Srongpong, a physics lecturer at Chulalong-korn, said producers of GT200 relied on fancy words such as diapara magnetism, which, he thought "has nothing to do with detecting process".
He attacked claims that the device had a detection range up to 700 metres as farfetched. "My God! This 700 metre range is out of this world!" he said.
Kwarn Seetathanee, director of National Institute of Technology (Nectech) had a similar view, saying the probability of such a device working was almost nil. "Diapara-magnetism? Very improbable."
The panel urged the Ministry of Science and the Environment to test the device and claims about its efficacy. However, they refused to say what should be done to avoid similar problems in the future, claiming they only sought to offer academic knowledge.
Angkhana Neelapaijit, head of the Working Group on Justice for Peace, claimed 400 Thai-Malay Muslims had been forced into "occupational training" by the Army after they were wrongly detected with traces of explosives by the GT200.
She said it was long overdue to find out if the device was reliable or not.
Angkhana showed a letter to The Nation detailing how local residents were suddenly picked up and taken for forced training for four months after the GT200 device found they had been involved with bombs without any further evidence.
"Officials used the detector then they took us to vehicles," part of a text by a person affected by use of the device in the deep South stated.