Thai Court Reopens Tak Bai Incident: Officials to Face Charges

[webfact]

FILE - Krue Se Mosque, 2010. Picture courtesy: Wikipedia

 

The Narathiwat Court has decided to reconsider charges against seven officials linked to the tragic Tak Bai Incident, a crackdown that occurred two decades ago, during which scores of protesters lost their lives.

 

On October 25, 2004, approximately 1,500 Thai-Muslim protesters gathered outside the Tak Bai district police station in southern Thailand's Narathiwat Province. They were demanding the release of six men detained by the authorities.

 

As tensions escalated, the police responded with force, deploying tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd. Protesters, retaliating by hurling stones, faced further aggression when the police resorted to firing live ammunition.

 

This deadly confrontation resulted in the immediate deaths of seven protesters. However, the tragedy didn't end there. Nearly 1,300 demonstrators were subsequently detained and transported to the Inkayut army camp in Pattani Province.

 

The inhumane conditions during the five-hour journey—where detainees were piled on top of one another in trucks—led to the deaths of 78 individuals due to suffocation and organ failure.

 

The charges brought against the officials are grave, including murder, attempted murder, and unlawful detention. The willingness of the court to revisit this case offers a glimmer of hope for the families of the victims and is seen as a step toward justice for those who lost their lives in the incident.

 

The first hearing is scheduled for September 12 at 9 am, where these officials will face legal scrutiny over their alleged roles in the fatalities and human rights abuses that occurred during and following the protest. This proceeding marks a crucial moment for accountability in a case that has long lingered on the edges of Thailand's collective memory.

 

As the court prepares to delve into these serious allegations, the nation and the international community await to see whether justice will finally be served for the victims of the Tak Bai Incident.

 

-- 2024-08-24

 

 

Get the ASEAN NOW daily NEWSLETTER - Click HERE to subscribe

[Gottfrid]

Fantastic that it should take 20 years for them to wake up.

[Artisi]

Amazing Thailand, 20 years  to addrees such a vile, callous and  in humain event. Are the higher level also going to be charged with washing their hands and dismissing this at the time as not worth wasting time on?

From memory a couple of current well known politicians were actively involved in brushing this under the carpet at the time. 

[Hunz Kittisak]

Those people wanted to challenge the police to release 6 terrorists. No sympathy from me

[brianthainess]

5 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

Fantastic that it should take 20 years for them to wake up.

And it will take another 20 years when and if the officials will have any charges if any, are brought, by the corrupt legal system here.

[pegman]

5 hours ago, Artisi said:

Amazing Thailand, 20 years  to addrees such a vile, callous and  in humain event. Are the higher level also going to be charged with washing their hands and dismissing this at the time as not worth wasting time on?

From memory a couple of current well known politicians were actively involved in brushing this under the carpet at the time. 

That statute of limitations on this case is 20 years.                                                                               https://www.barrons.com/news/seven-officials-to-face-trial-in-thailand-over-tak-bai-massacre-a1486e0a

[ryxyz]

Hmm! Guess who was the prime minister at the time!

[Will B Good]

 

 

At the time of the incident, Thailand was under the leadership of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. His government faced significant criticism for its handling of the situation, including the excessive use of force by security forces and the failure to prevent the tragic outcome. However, no high-ranking officials were held criminally responsible for the incident.

 

 

Think the security guy at the sharp end is still 'a somebody'.

[Artisi]

The perpetrators of this killing are worse than rabid animals and should be put thru the same treatment as those who were thrown into the back of a truck and murdered. 

Scum of the eath and still revered by many. 

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

This deadly confrontation resulted in the immediate deaths of seven protesters. However, the tragedy didn't end there. Nearly 1,300 demonstrators were subsequently detained and transported to the Inkayut army camp in Pattani Province.

 

The inhumane conditions during the five-hour journey—where detainees were piled on top of one another in trucks—led to the deaths of 78 individuals due to suffocation and organ failure.

 

The charges brought against the officials are grave, including murder, attempted murder, and unlawful detention. The willingness of the court to revisit this case offers a glimmer of hope for the families of the victims and is seen as a step toward justice for those who lost their lives in the incident.

After 20 years.... 

[Gottfrid]

2 hours ago, Hunz Kittisak said:

Those people wanted to challenge the police to release 6 terrorists. No sympathy from me

Ok, and then they was rightfully killed? Is that what you are insinuating? That´s just sick.

[Artisi]

2 hours ago, Hunz Kittisak said:

Those people wanted to challenge the police to release 6 terrorists. No sympathy from me

Do you actually condone the murder of these people, because that's what it was, thrown into the back of a truck like dead animals and then transported off to suffocate during the journey, commenting as you have would indicated you're a very mentally challenged individual. 

[ChrisY1]

Thaksin' war on drugs!

Fine at the time, albeit some criticism....but today? Not many people remember much.....

[Dogmatix]

Justice delayed is justice denied.  In this case it is not an attempt to provide justice to the victims but a political swipe at Pravit who was commander-in-chief at the time and took no meaningful action after the event. 

[MikeandDow]

1 hour ago, ChrisY1 said:

Thaksin' war on drugs!

Fine at the time, albeit some criticism....but today? Not many people remember much.....

No it was not fine at the time killing 2500 people is NOT fine  Thaskin new all about the killing and i would imagine the family's of the people killed remember!!!  I think the world remembers Thaskin as a corrupt  murdering gangster but you just go and hide under a rock 

[Hunz Kittisak]

7 hours ago, Artisi said:

Do you actually condone the murder of these people, because that's what it was, thrown into the back of a truck like dead animals and then transported off to suffocate during the journey, commenting as you have would indicated you're a very mentally challenged individual. 

Those deaths was an accident 

Those who died weren’t angels either, they were in actual fact terrorist supporters. 

 

[pegman]

11 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

 

At the time of the incident, Thailand was under the leadership of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. His government faced significant criticism for its handling of the situation, including the excessive use of force by security forces and the failure to prevent the tragic outcome. However, no high-ranking officials were held criminally responsible for the incident.

 

 

Think the security guy at the sharp end is still 'a somebody'.

You mean the Watchman?

[pegman]

1 hour ago, Hunz Kittisak said:

Those deaths was an accident 

Those who died weren’t angels either, they were in actual fact terrorist supporters. 

 

Some people don't have an ounce of humanity

[Artisi]

4 hours ago, Hunz Kittisak said:

Those deaths was an accident 

Those who died weren’t angels either, they were in actual fact terrorist supporters. 

 

So now you want to justify these murders by blaming the victims. 

 

 

 

[Artisi]

13 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

Thaksin' war on drugs!

Fine at the time, albeit some criticism....but today? Not many people remember much.....

Do you actually think that 2500 deaths is "fine", many would disagree with that comment, especially as many weren't even involved in the drug business. 

 

 

[Will B Good]

6 hours ago, pegman said:

You mean the Watchman?

 

Not sure....you might be right....just saw a clip awhile ago of someone said to be in the frame for this.

[MikeandDow]

9 hours ago, Hunz Kittisak said:

Those deaths was an accident 

Those who died weren’t angels either, they were in actual fact terrorist supporters. 

 

Think you are a Nut job if you believe the deaths were an accident or terrorists 

 

Lest we forget: His "war on drugs" saw 2,873 Thais dead in a matter of three months, from February to April, 2003. The victims included whole families, women, children and old people. In many cases, bodies were left out in the open in an almost ritualistic public display, to be photographed by an all too eager local press.

 

Tak Bai incident
Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra Prime Minister at the time, said

“At the time of the incident, I was playing golf in the Bangna area, Bangkok, and it was reported that there was a siege at the police station in order to release the accused, who is accused of delivering weapons to insurgents, after the protest was dissolved and there were arrests of those who gathered. But after that, I didn't know how to arrest the protesters or where they were taken. No one reported it, and there were deaths that occurred”.

Subsequently, Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra advised to seek justice for the victims by directing questions to former Deputy Prime Minister Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan, who had formerly served as the Army Commander-in-Chief at the time. Given his deep knowledge of military affairs, Mr. Thaksin inquired about compensation for the affected individuals, even though he was no longer in office.

Following Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra's interview concerning the Tak Bai massacre, a reporter approached Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan, who was identified as the Army Commander of the 4th Army Region during that period. Gen. Prawit, however, evaded the questions by promptly departing in his car.

 

[Hunz Kittisak]

28 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

Think you are a Nut job if you believe the deaths were an accident or terrorists 

 

Lest we forget: His "war on drugs" saw 2,873 Thais dead in a matter of three months, from February to April, 2003. The victims included whole families, women, children and old people. In many cases, bodies were left out in the open in an almost ritualistic public display, to be photographed by an all too eager local press.

 

Tak Bai incident
Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra Prime Minister at the time, said

“At the time of the incident, I was playing golf in the Bangna area, Bangkok, and it was reported that there was a siege at the police station in order to release the accused, who is accused of delivering weapons to insurgents, after the protest was dissolved and there were arrests of those who gathered. But after that, I didn't know how to arrest the protesters or where they were taken. No one reported it, and there were deaths that occurred”.

Subsequently, Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra advised to seek justice for the victims by directing questions to former Deputy Prime Minister Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan, who had formerly served as the Army Commander-in-Chief at the time. Given his deep knowledge of military affairs, Mr. Thaksin inquired about compensation for the affected individuals, even though he was no longer in office.

Following Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra's interview concerning the Tak Bai massacre, a reporter approached Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan, who was identified as the Army Commander of the 4th Army Region during that period. Gen. Prawit, however, evaded the questions by promptly departing in his car.

 

As per your post.
People who lay siege on police station should expect full force of the law and retaliation against them, no?

People who supply weapons to ‘insurgents’ are also terrorists, no?

 

War on drugs was supported and welcomed by many though ONE Important person didn’t supported it and voiced his displeasure swaying public opinion and turning the mass media narrative against Khun Thaksin 

 

[MikeandDow]

18 minutes ago, Hunz Kittisak said:

As per your post.
People who lay siege on police station should expect full force of the law and retaliation against them, no?

People who supply weapons to ‘insurgents’ are also terrorists, no?

 

War on drugs was supported and welcomed by many though ONE Important person didn’t supported it and voiced his displeasure swaying public opinion and turning the mass media narrative against Khun Thaksin 

 

Lets get some Facts Straight

1 "People who lay siege on police station should expect full force of the law" agree BUT Not being shot at !!!!!!!  7 people killed

2 "People who supply weapons to ‘insurgents’ are also terrorists,"no proof was ever given nor taken to court 

3 "War on drugs was supported and welcomed by many though ONE Important person didn’t supported it and voiced his displeasure" and so he should was very bad for Thailand,   the people did support it AT THE BEGINNING,   

When secretary-general Kofi Anan nominated a rapporteur to investigate these gross human rights abuses, Thaksin's angry response was "the UN is not my father".

Other international human rights organisations denounced the "war" as one of the worst cases of human rights abuse in recent times. Eventually, the UN Commission on Human Rights asked the Thai government to explain some 23 cases of abuse from mass killings to deaths and disappearances of rights defenders, like lawyer Somchai Neelapaijit.

When the Independent Committee on the Casualties of the 2003 War on Drugs established by the Surayud Chulanont government published its report in 2008, it concluded that 1,372 of the people killed had no drug related records.

More importantly, the chair of the commission concluded that all 2,873 killings should be considered crimes against humanity. Since the day the report was published, not a single case has been pursued.

This culture of impunity is our national shame. Thaksin's "war on drugs" was broadly welcomed by many Thais, at the time, largely because of the terrible impact of the ya ba (methamphetamine) scourge that was sweeping through the country. The media almost gleefully reported the weekly and monthly killing tallies, as provinces sought to outdo each other.

The ethnic-religious conflict ignited by Thaksin's policies in the three deep South provinces has even more tragic and longer term consequences. Since 2004, 5,700 people have died, with 1,000 imprisoned, awaiting trial for treason, which carries the death penalty. In 2002 these three provinces had a mere three cases of violent crimes, in 2005 the number jumped to 1,500 cases.

The Tak Bai incident paints a dark stain across our national conscience. But our culture of immunity remains intact. Our leaders, our police, our armed forces continue to commit terrible acts of injustice with impunity.

The Sunday Times article said: "Lawyers have suggested that Thaksin's drug war might amount to a crime against humanity under Article Seven of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court [ICC], set up in 1992."

Thaksin finds this funny. "I've done nothing wrong!" he laughs. "I just give the policy."

Human rights commissioner Wasant Panich thinks otherwise. "Those who devised the policy are primarily responsible for the deaths," he says. Mr Wasant believes that only the threat of an ICC trial will ensure this kind of incident never happens. Thailand signed the Rome Statute in 2000 but, under Thaksin, didn't ratify it.

I am conscious of another more recent tragic event Thaksin's supporters will want to mention, namely the deaths surrounding the events of April-May, 2010. But there is a big difference between those events and Thaksin's earlier rampages.

Abhisit Vejjajiva and Suthep Thaugsuban, then prime minister and deputy prime minister respectively, have been charged with murder.

They have acknowledged these charges, indicated their willingness to stand trial and accept the court's verdict, whatever that may be.

This is called "integrity", in the highest order, for accepting responsibility for one's actions.

Will the same ever be said about Thaksin? Until we deconstruct this culture of impunity, Thailand's political development will remain trapped in the shadows of despair.

THIS IS THASKIN  VIAL CORRUPT KILLING GANGSTER
 

[metisdead]

A post with false and misleading information and the replies have been removed.

[jaywalker2]

On 8/24/2024 at 6:41 AM, webfact said:

FILE - Krue Se Mosque, 2010. Picture courtesy: Wikipedia

 

The Narathiwat Court has decided to reconsider charges against seven officials linked to the tragic Tak Bai Incident, a crackdown that occurred two decades ago, during which scores of protesters lost their lives.

 

On October 25, 2004, approximately 1,500 Thai-Muslim protesters gathered outside the Tak Bai district police station in southern Thailand's Narathiwat Province. They were demanding the release of six men detained by the authorities.

 

As tensions escalated, the police responded with force, deploying tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd. Protesters, retaliating by hurling stones, faced further aggression when the police resorted to firing live ammunition.

 

This deadly confrontation resulted in the immediate deaths of seven protesters. However, the tragedy didn't end there. Nearly 1,300 demonstrators were subsequently detained and transported to the Inkayut army camp in Pattani Province.

 

The inhumane conditions during the five-hour journey—where detainees were piled on top of one another in trucks—led to the deaths of 78 individuals due to suffocation and organ failure.

 

The charges brought against the officials are grave, including murder, attempted murder, and unlawful detention. The willingness of the court to revisit this case offers a glimmer of hope for the families of the victims and is seen as a step toward justice for those who lost their lives in the incident.

 

The first hearing is scheduled for September 12 at 9 am, where these officials will face legal scrutiny over their alleged roles in the fatalities and human rights abuses that occurred during and following the protest. This proceeding marks a crucial moment for accountability in a case that has long lingered on the edges of Thailand's collective memory.

 

As the court prepares to delve into these serious allegations, the nation and the international community await to see whether justice will finally be served for the victims of the Tak Bai Incident.

 

-- 2024-08-24

 

 

Get the ASEAN NOW daily NEWSLETTER - Click HERE to subscribe

And who was PM at this time? Thaksin. The same Thaksin who just announced that his daughter's administration would demand "ownership" and "accountability" from state officials even though he claimed he had no responsibility for the Tak Bai massacre, that it was all the fault of the military.

[MikeandDow]

38 minutes ago, jaywalker2 said:

And who was PM at this time? Thaksin. The same Thaksin who just announced that his daughter's administration would demand "ownership" and "accountability" from state officials even though he claimed he had no responsibility for the Tak Bai massacre, that it was all the fault of the military.

Of course Thaksin is culpable and so is Prawit Wongsuwan he served as the Army Commander-in-Chief at the time. Probability gave the order ( no Proof ). Thaskin and Prawit blame each other,

[n00dle]

On 8/24/2024 at 6:52 AM, Gottfrid said:

Fantastic that it should take 20 years for them to wake up.

 

Just fantastic that the court is being used to bludgeon every politician in the nation from the political arena