Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed by the Working Group on Justice for Peace that the post mortem inquest into the deaths of 78 persons in Narathiwat, southern Thailand in October 2004 is going on in Bangkok. We urge all persons who are able to attend the court as observers to please do so.
UPDATED INFORMATION:
To recall, on 25 October 2004 some 85 persons died due to the actions of soldiers and police outside the Tak Bai police station in Narathiwat, 78 of them in army custody (UA-143-2004). A politically-appointed inquiry found that three army officers were responsible for the deaths but no criminal inquiries have so far followed (AHRC-OL-008-2007; UP-025-2005; Tak Bai & Krue Se Reports on The Nation website). The state instead maliciously prosecuted innocent victims of the military action until the case was dropped last year for lack of evidence. On March 20, the Pattani Provincial Court awarded some 42 million Thai baht (one million USD) to the families of the 78 victims.
The public prosecutor in Narathiwat province filed for a judicial inquest into the killings, which was opened in 2005 (Narathiwat Provincial Court, Case No. Jor 16/2548). The inquest must identify the circumstances of the deaths and who if anybody was responsible. The public prosecutor applied for the case to be transferred to Bangkok, for better security for witnesses and evidence. The central court refused to transfer the case to there, but agreed for it to be transferred to the neighbouring province of Songkhla, where it has been heard since.
However, this week the hearings are being held in a part of greater Bangkok, as four doctors who examined the bodies of the victims are due to testify. Yesterday, April 3, and today, April 4, testimony was taken. Further testimony is due to continue tomorrow, April 5, and on April 10. Full details are as follows:
Place: Nonthaburi Provincial Court, Ratanathibet Road, Bangkrasor, A. Muang, Nonthaburi
Dates:
Thursday, April 5, 1 – 4pm testimony by staff of Central Institute of Forensic Science (CIFS), Ministry of Justice
Tuesday, April 10, 9am – 4pm testimony by Dr. Porntip Rojanasunan, Acting Director-General, CIFS
For further details, please contact Angkhana Neelaphaijit or Pornpen Khongkhachonkiet, Working Group on Justice for Peace, tel. (66)2 693 4939.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
A post mortem inquest into the killing of 28 persons inside the Krue Se Mosque on 28 April 2004 was last year concluded with the court identifying three senior army officers as responsible for the deaths (UA-398-2006). But so far there has been no evidence that any progress has been made towards prosecuting the three (UP-028-2007); in Thailand senior army officers have typically enjoyed full impunity for their actions.
Please refer to our earlier appeals and sample letters for further information and action.
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
