Tak Bai incident

Part of the South Thailand insurgency
Krue Se Mosque
Native name	กรณีตากใบ
Date	25 October 2004
Location	Tak Bai, Thailand
Type	purge, riots
Deaths	85

The Tak Bai Massacre^[1] or Tak Bai Incident (Thai: กรณีตากใบ) was a riot during the south Thailand insurgency that occurred on 25 October 2004 in Tak Bai, Narathiwat Province, Thailand, which resulted in the death of 85 Thai citizens.^[2][3][4]

On 25 October 2004, a demonstration of around 1,500 people gathered in front of a police station in Tak Bai to protest the detention of six men. Several hours into the protest, the crowd attempted to cross the police barrier into the station. Police responded with tear gas and water cannons, and the crowd responded by throwing rocks. Police fired into the air and then into the crowd at head height, killing seven.^[5][6]

Almost 1,300 protesters were detained at the scene.^[5] They were ordered to strip to the waist, lie on their stomachs, and crawl to nearby trucks that would transport them to another site.^[7] Footage taken by journalists confirmed allegations that many protesters were kicked and beaten with sticks even after they complied with orders to lie on the ground.^[5][8]

The detainees were then stacked atop one another in trucks and transported to Inkayut Army Camp in Pattani Province. The drive took five hours, and by the time the trucks arrived at the destination, 78 detainees had died from suffocation or organ collapse.^[5][7]

On 2 November 2004, Jaran Torae, a Buddhist deputy police chief, was found beheaded in Narathiwat Province. A handwritten note described the murder as retaliation for the deaths at Tak Bai.^[9] Several other killings of Buddhist village leaders and police officials were attributed to revenge for the incident.^[10]

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra expressed regret for the deaths, but he insisted there had been no wrongdoing by military personnel.^[11]

On 2 November 2006, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont gave a formal apology for Thaksin's policies in the south,^[12] and two days later the charges against the surviving protesters were dropped.^[13] The Asian Human Rights Commission called for prosecutions, stating, "After two years, the apology is welcome, but investigation and prosecution is imperative."^[14]

A 2009 inquest found that security officials had performed their duty without wrongdoing. Family members attempted to appeal the decision, but their appeal was denied in June 2012. As of October 2012, no charges had been filed against the security officials involved in the deaths.^[15] In 2012, the Thai government offered reparations to family members of the victims.^[15]

The Bangkok Post called the incident a "tragedy" and "one of the worst blunders ever committed by the military in the restive deep South".^[16] Amnesty International protested what it called the "virtual impunity" for human rights violations in southern Thailand, calling for members of the security forces involved to be "brought to justice".^[15]

On 24 October 2024, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra apologized for the deaths of the 78 protesters who were killed, hours before the statute of limitations on the case expired.^[17] Shinawatra advocated against politicizing the case, and argued that the 20-year statute of limitations could not be extended as the Council of State advised it would violate the constitution.^[17]

In April 2024, criminal charges were filed against nine "former security officials" in the Narathiwat Provincial Court.^[1][18]

The nine defendants named were:^[19]

• General Pisarn Wattanawongkiri, former Fourth Army Region commander
• Lieutenant general Sinchai Nutsathit
• General Chalermchai Wirunpeth, former Fifth Infantry Division commander
• Police general Wongkot Maneerin
• Police lieutenant general Manot Kraiwong
• Police major general Saksomchai Phutthakul
• Police general Pakdee Preechachon
• Siwa Saengmanee
• Wichom Thongsong, former governor of Narathiwat province

On 23 August 2024, the court accepted charges against seven of the officials.^[20] Pakdee Preechachon and Sinchai Nutsathit were acquitted.^[19]

On 12 September 2024, eight more people were "charged with premeditated murder with foreseeable consequences" in the Pattani Provincial Court according to media; furthermore, those are "six soldiers and two civilians".^[21]

The eight defendants named were:

• General Chalermchai Wirunpeth
• Sub-lieutenant Nathawut Lueamsai
• Wisanu Lertsongkhram
• Lieutenant junior grade Wisanukorn Chaisarn,
• Piti Yankaeo
• Chief petty officer 3rd class Pitak Srisuwan
• Lieutenant colonel Prasert Matmil
• Lieutenant Rithirong Promrit

Chalermchai Wirunpeth was charged in both cases.^[22] The 20 year statute of limitations is set to expire on 25 October 2024, but the Thai government could move to keep the charges active.^[23][22]

On 25 October 2024, the statute of limitations on criminal charges expired, and no state official was convicted of charges related to the massacre.^[17][24] On 28 October, the Narathiwat Provincial Court dismissed the charges against the suspects, citing the expiration of the statute of limitations and failure to arrest them.^[25][26]

• Dasht-i-Leili massacre

Wikinews has related news:

• Anniversary of Tak Bai incident marked with lawsuits

• Asian Human Rights Commission – Tak Bai homepage