PM Paetongtarn to visit South after the Tak Bai massacre accused officials begin returning to work post-statute expiry. Deputy PM Anutin warns of “social penalties” for those who evaded justice. Ethics probe into absences to begin as new regulations to address legal gaps are promised by the government leader.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Tuesday announced that she is visiting the South. It came after a cabinet meeting, during which it was understood that the consequences of the suspension of the Tak Bai massacre case were discussed. This follows reports that senior officials, many in government positions, are beginning to return to work after laying low until the statute of limitations finally expired at midnight on Friday. One of them is a district chief in Nakhon Phanom, who returned to work on Saturday. Meanwhile, former Pheu Thai Party list MP and army commander in the South, General Pisal Wattanawongkiri, is due home this week. At length, Deputy PM and Minister of the Interior Anutin Charnvirakul has warned that those involved will suffer social consequences.
On Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Anutin Charnvirakul promised an urgent investigation into the district chief of Thai Uthen in Nakhon Phanom. On Saturday, Mr. Wissanu Lertsongkram turned up for work as usual. However, before that, the top official had gone missing for a number of weeks. Mr. Wissanu is one of the 15 defendants in the Tak Bai murder case.
Previously, he was the district manager of Tak Bai district in Narathiwat province.
Protest and security response at Tak Bai led to 78 deaths and detention of over 1,300 protesters
Later on Monday morning at Narathiwat Provincial Court, the case against seven defendants charged in the matter was thrown out. The court suspended prosecutions against any defendants linked to the alleged murder of 78 people on October 25, 2004.
The deaths coincided with an insurgency-linked protest outside Tak Bai Police Station. It followed the arrests of local suspects deemed linked to unrest in the south.
October 25, 2004 was a Monday, and matters quickly got out of hand. In turn, police and military officers fired live ammunition. Seven men fell while security forces moved to quell the disorder.
After that, over 1,300 protesters from a crowd of up to 1,500 were made to strip to their pants. In addition, their hands were tied. They were then forced to lie on the ground and subsequently placed in army transports.
Afterwards, they were driven to Inkayut Army Camp in Pattani Province, 150 km away. The men were piled one on top of the other. In summary, 78 died from excessive heat and organ failure during the ill-fated journey.
Investigations into Tak Bai deaths see legal closure but delay leaves justice unresolved
Afterwards, successive Thai governments launched inquiries and expressed grief over the affair. However, no legal action of consequence was taken against any officials involved.
This changed in 2024 when the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) issued criminal prosecution proceedings against the 15 defendants. However, it appears this came too late for justice to be served.
On Monday, the Narathiwat court made the order under Section 39 (6) of the Criminal Procedure Code. The case itself was dismissed without a verdict under Section 185, paragraph one. In effect, the statute of limitations law in Thailand had intervened to halt all legal action.
Certainly, there was a similar situation before Pattani Court, where eight defendants were facing charges.
Meanwhile, on Friday, just 12 hours before the deadline for an arrest in the case approached, the housekeeper for General Pisal Wattanawongkiri ordered garden workers to tend his luxury home in Bang Talat Subdistrict, in Pakkret District, Nonthaburi Province, just outside Bangkok in the metropolitan area.
General Pisal avoids prosecution as the warrant expires ahead of his scheduled return from the UK
In short, the arrest warrant for General Pisal, issued on October 1st, was extinguished on Monday morning.
The former 4th Army commander in Southern Thailand is due to return to the country from the United Kingdom this week.
On Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Anutin warned that those who escaped justice would face social consequences. The Minister of the Interior stated that henceforth, all individuals concerned would be stigmatised by the case.
Lawyer calls for prosecution of top officials in the Tak Bai case as PM rules out Emergency Degree
Bomb attacks in Narathiwat just a week before the Tak Bai massacre anniversary injures eight security force personnel
“You can change the name to ‘Eh’ because whenever you see this name, you will say ‘Eh’ first, which is a social penalty they will receive,” explained Mr. Anutin.
In particular, regarding Mr. Wissanu Lertsongkram, he confirmed that an ethics investigation would be launched.
Mr. Wissanu had taken an unapproved leave of absence. However, Mr. Anutin was equally clear that any consequences for the official would have to be proportionate and within regulations. Certainly, the official could not be punished for alleged wrongdoing linked with the Tak Bai incident.
Wissanu faces ethics inquiry for unapproved absence as cabinet mulls measures on returning officials
In November, Mr. Wissanu reportedly took extended sick leave. Indeed, he was entitled to take up to 15 days of unapproved leave without facing the prospect of dismissal.
Regarding General Pisal, he resigned from his position with the Pheu Thai Party on October 15. In effect, this also meant he relinquished his position as a party list MP.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra initially declined to answer reporters’ questions at Government House on the matter. In particular, she was asked if officials who returned to their positions after the statute of limitations expired would face consequences, such as losing pension entitlements.
However, she refused to answer, suggesting she would address the matter after the cabinet meeting.
Afterwards, sitting next to the Minister of the Interior, she announced she would visit the South. In addition, she announced that regulations were being drafted but did not give further details.
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Further reading:
Lawyer calls for prosecution of top officials in the Tak Bai case as PM rules out Emergency Degree
Pheu Thai MP and former army commander in the South out of the country safe from an arrest warrant
Narathiwat bomb explosion leaves one senior police officer dead. PM demands tighter security
Pattani bombs put Thai security agencies on alert as they gear up for APEC Summit in Bangkok
Top insurgent leader suspected as behind Monday night’s large bomb attack on Pattani district
2 killed in 15-minute firefight between security forces and insurgents as Pattani siege is ended
