Rangers Will Be Handed Over to Police for Slaying of Students

[Jacob Maslow]

The army authorities have agreed to hand seven rangers over to the police who were accused of killing four unarmed students in southern Thailand.

Two students and two villagers were killed on March 25 during a raid in a Pattani village. Security forces were acting on a tip that the group were suspected militants. An investigative panel announced on Tuesday that the individuals were not militants, and recommended legal action be taken against the security forces. Weapons seized after the incident were also found not to belong to the men.

The panel stated that the state’s action have caused damage and impacted the public, so all officials involved in the raid must be prosecuted according to the judicial process. The rangers are expected to show up for questioning later in April.

For years, rights groups have been accusing Thai security forces of carrying out illegal killings in the remote south. The majority of the 6,300 victims over the last decade have been civilians who were Buddhists and Muslims. These individuals were killed either by security forces or rebels.

Kriskorn Paleethunyawong, Pattani police commander, confirmed the panel’s decision, but dampened hope of criminal proceedings. When these types of killings occur, it’s typically ruled that the security forces were acting in the line of duty regardless of the fact that the victims were unarmed.

-- 2015-04-08

[dragonfly94]

The only people the army seem to kill are other Thais

[Rhys]

Nothing has changed, it is open season ... both sides will go after each other and the cycle continues.. sad na.