Court accepts suit against 7 ex-officials linked to Tak Bai deaths

Members of the Muslim Students Federation of Thailand gather on a Skywalk in Bangkok’s Pathumwan district on Oct 25, 2019, to mark the 15th anniversary of the 2004 Tak Bai massacre. (Bangkok Post file photo)
On October 25, 2019, the Muslim Pupils Federation of Thailand gathers for a skywalk in Bangkok’s Pathumwan area to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Tak Bai murder in 2004. ( Bangkok Post file photo )

In connection with the 2004 Tak Bai slaughter, the Narathiwat Provincial Court on Friday accepted a complaint against seven former top leaders who are accused of murder, attempted murder, and immoral confinement. The charges were dropped against the two plaintiffs.

Due to the incident’s 20-year statute of limitations, which is scheduled to expire in October of this year, nine previous security officials were named in the lawsuit filed on April 26 by relatives of the deceased and injured patients. &nbsp,

A previous chief of Provincial Police Region 9, a former assistant director of Tak Bai police depot, a former deputy assistant superintendent of the Southern Border Provinces Peace Centre, a former Narathiwat government, and a previous lieutenant governor of the district are the nine accused named in the lawsuit.

The case for trial against seven of them was accepted by the court. The charges were dropped against the former deputy superintendent of Tak Bai station and the former deputy commander of the 4th Army Region.

The court has scheduled Sept 12 for witness examinations.

Security forces staged a rally in front of the Tak Bai station in the Tak Bai district on October 25, 2004, when protesters demanded the release of six detainees.

Seven demonstrators died at the scene, and 78 others died from suffocation or organ failure while being detained and transported to a military hospital in Pattani’s Nong Chik district, which is 140 kilometers away.