Decision on Tak Bai Incident Court Case Expected Next Month

[snoop1130]

 

A court case involving nine former high-ranking officials implicated in the 2004 Tak Bai incident is scheduled to be assessed by the Narathiwat Provincial Court next month. The case, filed on April 26 by a group of 48 plaintiffs, is seeking justice for the victims and their families who have only received financial compensation for their loss, with no other notable action taken by the police or prosecutors.

 

The plaintiffs, including injured victims and deceased victims' relatives, have accelerated their case, aware of the 20-year legal deadline which ends in October. The unfortunate event happened on October 25, 2004, when law enforcement broke up a protest in front of the Tak Bai Police Station in the Tak Bai district. The protesters were demanding the release of six people in custody.

 

During the protest, seven individuals lost their lives, and 78 more perished due to suffocation or organ failure during their transfer to a military camp located in Pattani’s Nong Chik district, about 140 kilometers away.

 

Adilan Ali-Ishoh, an attorney with the Muslim Attorney Centre Foundation representing the plaintiffs, confirmed that there have already been two hearings on June 24 and July 19 for the initial inquiry process. The court is expected to declare on August 23 whether it will take on the case.

 

The nine ex-officials are facing charges of murder, illegal detention, and improper conduct. The accused include a former commander of the 4th army region, a past chief of Provincial Police Region 9, an ex-governor of Narathiwat, and a previous superintendent of Tak Bai station. Three of them were directly involved in the incident.

 

 

Adilan is hopeful that the court will take the case but expressed concerns over whether the accused could be prosecuted before the statute of limitations expires on October 25.

 

“If the court accepts the case, it remains uncertain if the defendants will try to postpone their court appearance,” he said.

 

Another lawyer involved in the case, Useng Doloh, criticized the police for their lack of action, suggesting that the high-ranking status of the accused may have contributed to the stall in progress.

 

“Twenty years have not erased their memory, but it has only decreased their hope for justice. Once the statute of limitations expires, any hope for justice will vanish,” he said.

 

The will of the plaintiffs to seek legal action underscores the continuous demand for accountability and justice for the lives damaged by the Tak Bai incident. It is expected that the court's decision next month will determine the future course of this overdue quest for justice.

 

File photo for reference only

 

-- 2024-07-22

 

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[MikeandDow]

Hang your Head in shame Thailand,  Taken 20year to get this far !!!! it is an utter disgrace, this was a Massacre and the people who caused this walking about without a care in the world Shame shame  

[Galong]

12 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

Hang your Head in shame Thailand,  Taken 20year to get this far !!!! it is an utter disgrace, this was a Massacre and the people who caused this walking about without a care in the world Shame shame  

We all know who ordered the planned massacre. Let's see if he takes the fall or, more likely, someone else gets nailed for it. It was completely avoidable. I remember it well.

[Mr Meeseeks]

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

“Twenty years have not erased their memory, but it has only decreased their hope for justice. Once the statute of limitations expires, any hope for justice will vanish,” he said.

 

Sounds familiar. 

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, MikeandDow said:

Hang your Head in shame Thailand,  Taken 20year to get this far !!!! it is an utter disgrace, this was a Massacre and the people who caused this walking about without a care in the world Shame shame  

A double tragedy...