A network of 49 civil society organizations and activist groups have demanded that the government bring seven former officials charged with the 25 October 2004 Tak Bai Massacre to court, after the officials failed to appear at a hearing on Tuesday (16 October).

Participants in the gathering on Tuesday night (15 October) standing around a peace sign made of paper containing the name of each person killed during the Tak Bai Massacre. (Photo by Ginger Cat)

The network issued a joint statement calling on the government to ensure that the officials are brought to court before the statute of limitations expires on 25 October, which may include coordinating with the governments of the UK, Japan, and other countries to which the officials are likely to have fled so that they can be detained. If the officials cannot be brought to court before the statute of limitations expires, says the statement, it would have a long-term negative impact on the peace process in the Deep South and contribute to the culture of impunity in Thailand.

On Tuesday night (15 October), after it was reported that the officials did not appear in court, activists and members of the public gathered in front of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) to demand that the government ensure the officers face trial. Activists read out the names of the 85 people killed during the Tak Bai Massacre, while wanted posters for the officials were put up around the courtyard.

Muhamadkasdafee Kuna from The Patani, an organization advocating the right to self-determination in the Deep South, said that if the government fails to bring the alleged perpetrators to justice, it would disrupt the peace process. He said that he and his fellow activists want to see the government showing that it is taking things seriously to set a standard and build trust among the people that a crime committed by the state will be punished.

The seven officials facing trial for the Tak Bai Massacre have been missing court hearings scheduled since the Narathiwat Provincial Court accepted the lawsuit filed by family members of the victims. Arrest warrants have been issued for the officials, but the police are still unable to detain them. Pheu Thai MP Gen Pisarn Wattanawongkiri, former Fourth Army Region Commander, resigned from the party on Tuesday morning (15 October) and therefore lost his seat in parliament. He previously requested leave from parliament until 30 October, claiming that he is receiving medical treatment overseas. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said that the Thai government has been in touch with INTERPOL about tracking him down.

Muhamadkasdafee said that Gen Pisarn must be hold accountable by the justice system even though he resigned. He wants the public to join them in the call for the seven officials to come to court, and called on the government to work on its communication to build trust in the peace process.

If the officials are not brought to court and the state of limitations is allowed to expire, Muhamadkasdafee believes that the massacre will continue to be a wound in the Deep South and could lead to conflict in the future, so the government must take the case seriously if it wants to build a peace that lasts.