Anger simmers in Thai south after officers accused of Tak Bai massacre skip court date

The statute of limitations on the killing of 85 protesters expires on Friday while the suspects are believed to have fled the country

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Communities members pray in front of a mass grave for victims of the October 2004 incident known as the “Tak Bai massacre” when scores of Muslim protesters suffocated in Thai army trucks, at a cemetery in Thailand’s southern province of Narathiwat on October 25. Photo: AFP

Published: 4:54pm, 25 Oct 2024

Malay Muslims in Thailand’s conflict-scarred “Deep South” reacted with anger and dismay as the clock ran down on legal avenues to hold soldiers accountable for the killing of 85 protesters 20 years ago, in what became known as the Tak Bai massacre.

In August, seven military and police officers were charged with murder over the October 25, 2004, crackdown during which seven protesters were shot dead and a further 78 died from suffocation after they were stacked face down and hands bound in army trucks.

However, the statute of limitations is set to run out on midnight Friday, with the suspects believed to have fled Thailand, meaning the charges will have to be dropped by the court.

Memorials marking the massacre’s 20th anniversary took place in Narathiwat, Pattani, and Yala provinces, commemorating a tragedy, often cited as an example of state impunity, that become a recruiting tool for an insurgency that has claimed 7,500 lives over the past two decades.

Communities members hold up signs in front of a mass grave for victims of the “Tak Bai massacre” on October 25. Photo: AFP

Among the fugitives is General Pisal Wattanwongkiri, who was in charge of the security response to the south at the time.