NARATHIWAT, Thailand – A historic case involving the 2004 Tak Bai incident reached its conclusion at the Narathiwat Provincial Court on Monday as the statute of limitations expired on Oct 25 without any of the seven accused former high-ranking officials being arrested or surrendering to face charges.
The court proceedings drew plaintiffs, lawyers, and supporters who gathered since morning amid heightened security presence around the courthouse, Oct 28.
Ratsada Manooratsada, the plaintiff’s lawyer, stated before the hearing that while the court would formally dismiss the case due to the expired statute of limitations, the legal team would submit final evidence for historical record.
Although we couldn’t bring the suspects to justice, this remains a historic case requiring continued pursuit of truth, he said.
The Tak Bai incident occurred in October 2004 in Narathiwat province. About 1,500 protesters gathered outside the Tak Bai police station, demanding the release of defense volunteers who had been detained for allegedly providing firearms to insurgents while reporting it as weapon theft.
The protest was violently dispersed by security forces, leading to the detention and transportation of hundreds of protesters in overcrowded trucks to a military camp in Pattani province, about 150 kilometres away. Tragically, 78 individuals died due to suffocation.
Among the defendants in this case are several high-ranking officials, including former Army Region 4 commander Gen. Pisarn Wattanawongkhiri, military commanders, police chiefs, and a former provincial governor.
The lawyer said after the court dismisses the charges to end the case on Monday, families of the victims will call for the accused former officials to be stripped of their pensions and for an investigation into alleged dereliction of duty by Nong Chik police station. The station had failed to forward the criminal case file to prosecutors for nearly two decades before finally doing so earlier this year.
The Attorney General ordered prosecution in the case on September 12, 2024, about a month before the expiration of the statute of limitations.
The matter is also expected to be presented to the Parliamentary Committee on Law, Justice, and Human Rights, which has established a subcommittee to examine the issue. (TNA)
