Tak Bai/Krue Se - Old wounds that never really heal

A Thai soldier stands next to seized weapons displayed while security forces search the riverbed following overnight clashes in Narathiwat province, in Muslim-majority southern Thailand, 26 October 2004. Thailand’s troubled south was rocked by sporadic violence overnight despite a curfew imposed after clashes between security forces and demonstrators left six dead and dozens injured, officials said 26 October. (Photo by PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL / AFP)

By Tulsathit Taptim

One man’s justice is another man’s oppression. This rings true in any political system. On April 28, 2004, 32 allegedly-armed people took shelter in the Krue Se mosque in Pattani, after more than 100 militants carried out attacks on 10 police outposts across Pattani, Yala, and Songkhla. After a long stand-off with security forces, those inside the mosque were killed, and many more died outside of it. A few months after that, the Tak Bai incident happened.

In Narathiwat province on October 25, 2004, hundreds of people gathered in front of a police station in Tak Bai district to protest the detention of six men. When the crowd allegedly attempted to cross the police barrier into the station. Police responded with tear gas and water cannons, and the crowd started to throw rocks. Shots were fired into the air and then into the crowd, killing some people at this point.

Hundreds of protesters were detained at the scene. They were reportedly ordered to strip to the waist, lie on their stomachs, and crawl to nearby trucks that would transport them to somewhere else. Footage taken by journalists confirmed allegations of physical assaults on many arrested protesters.

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/old-wounds-that-never-really-heal/