PATTANI, Thailand – Approximately 30 cyclists gathered in Thailand’s Deep South on Friday (Oct 25) to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Tak Bai incident, a 2004 protest crackdown that resulted in 85 deaths mainly due to suffocation.
The participants started a 145-kilometer cycling event from Tak Bai, Narathiwat on Oct 23 to Nong Chik, Pattani. The route follows the path where the group of 85 protesters died during transportation from the Tak Bai police station to the Ingkhayuttha Borihan army camp in Pattani.
The gathering outside the army camp occurred before the statute of limitations expires on a lawsuit filed against seven former high-ranking officials over their roles in the deadly crackdown.
The defendants include former Army Region 4 commander Gen. Pisarn Wattanawongkhiri, military commanders, police chiefs, and a former provincial governor, involved in the incident.
Military personnel offered water and cool towels to cyclists while participants distributed dates among fellow riders, symbolizing energy transfer to younger generations in their continued pursuit of justice.
A day of symbolic actions is taking place in the three southern border provinces, culminating in a midnight countdown to mark the expiration of the statute of limitations for the Tak Bai case and to see if any of the defendants will face arrest.
“We want to communicate this to people – both the new generation who weren’t born when the incident happened and those who may have forgotten. The scars from this event are still deeply embedded in the hearts of the people in the three southern border provinces. This wound has prevented peace from taking root in this region to this day,” said Muhammad Aladi Dengni, a participant and local resident.
Pannika Wanich, a prominent Progressive Movement leader who joined the activity said while the Prime Minister’s recent apology is welcome, it appears to be merely a response to alleviate pressure.
She criticized the government’s characterization of former army commander and former Pheu Thai MP Gen. Pisan’s involvement as a “personal matter,” arguing that his actions were conducted in his official capacity as Fourth Army Region Commander.
She is calling for the government to establish clear mechanisms for addressing the case, even after its expiration. She suggested that while an emergency decree to extend the statute of limitations may not be feasible, parliamentary legislation could provide an alternative path to justice. (TNA)
