On eve of 20th anniversary, PM apologises for deadly Tak Bai incident
A day before expiry of statute of limitations, government ‘consulting legal experts on taking action’
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Thursday expressed regret and apologised for the Tak Bai incident 20 years ago when she addressed the media at Government House.
The statute of limitations in the Tak Bai case, which resulted in the deaths of scores of detainees in the deep South, is set to expire on Friday (October 25).
"This incident occurred 20 years ago, and I have reviewed various details related to the case. It is a deeply saddening event, and I sympathise with all those affected,” Paetongtarn said. “Successive governments over the past 20 years have expressed their regret and apologised, whether it was Thaksin Shinawatra's administration or General Surayud Chulanont’s, as well as former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Compensation and reparations have been provided.
"As the prime minister today, I deeply regret this event and, on behalf of the government I sincerely apologise. We will do our utmost to ensure that such incidents never happen again," she said.
"Regarding the legal issues, we have not refrained from taking action. We submitted questions to the Council of State at the start of October when this case resurfaced,” she said. “The Royal Thai Police and the government have been actively addressing this through the necessary legal processes. This morning, we discussed various conclusions and sought guidance on what can be done legally, particularly regarding issuing an emergency decree. We have also consulted legal experts to see if any further action can be taken within the constitutional framework."
Paetongtarn concluded by saying, "In the end, I urge everyone to recognise the severity of this violence and to prevent its recurrence. We must strive for peace and avoid further conflicts. I ask everyone to do their best, and the government will continue to do the same.”
On October 25, 2004, around 1,500 protesters gathered in front of a police station in Tak Bai to protest the detention of six men. Police responded with tear gas and water cannons, when the crowd attempted to cross the police barrier into the station. As tensions escalated, police fired into the air and then into the crowd, killing seven people.
The detainees were stacked one on top of the other in trucks and transported to Inkayut Army Camp in Pattani province. At the end of the five-hour drive, 78 detainees had died from suffocation.
