On 25 February 2008, the Working Group on Justice for Peace, a local human rights organization headed by Ms. Angkana Neelaphaijit, together with the Cross-cultural Foundation, issued a statement demanding that the government reveal the truth regarding the death of civilians at the Tak Bai massacre.  

The statement made reference to the interview of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej to an Al-Jazeera reporter, in which Mr. Samak explained that the cause of death of 78 innocent civilians who were demonstrating in front of Tak Bai police station was that their bodies were weak from the Ramadan fast. He claimed that since they lacked water and food they died after falling on one another.  

"The Working Group on Justice for Peace is deeply concerned at this interview. The claim by Mr. Samak Sundaravej is incorrect and contradicts the investigation report of the Independent Commission on the Investigation of the Deaths in Tak Bai Incident, Narathiwat Province on 25 October 2004, which was established by the Thaksin Shinawatra government. The Prime Minister's claim also goes against the Reports of the Sub-committee on Social Development and Human Security, the Subcommittee on Foreign Affairs, the Ad Hoc Sub-committee on Security Issues in Southern Thailand, first-hand accounts based on the facts from the victims of the Tak Bai incident, and the testimony of witnesses of the crackdown and of the methods the security forces used in transferring the demonstrators to Inkayuthaboriharn Camp. The Prime Minister is also contradicted by the publicly available photographs taken by the Thai and international media."  

The statement continues, "the false claims in interview given by Mr. Samak Sundaravej on the deaths and human rights violations of innocent civilians are not only a corruption of the truth and an abuse of human dignity of the victims but will also create negative effects on the trust of the people in state officials. It will create scepticism among civilians around the country who uphold the rule of law and especially those in Southern provinces. The atmosphere of reconciliation that the previous government tried to build will be in jeopardy since Mr. Samak made the comments as the Prime Minister of Thailand, not as an individual person". 

WGJP's statement continued that in the past three years, the general public, including those who were involved in the demonstration and human rights organizations, has been searching for the truth of the incident and demanding justice for the victims. The demonstrators and their relatives have filed three civil charges against government agencies calling for compensation for the deaths, injuries, and disabilities caused by the security forces. An amount of money was given to the plaintiffs on 26 October 2007 at the Narathiwat Provincial Court. The provincial prosecutor decided to drop criminal charges against 57 demonstrators at the end of 2006, on the grounds that proceeding with the case would not be beneficial to society and would create further social divisions.  

Currently, the court is in the process of inquiring into the deaths of those detained and transferred to the camp by military officers in the evening of 25 October 2004. The court will examine the cause of death of the 78 civilians and identify the perpetrators behind the deaths.  

Six persons were shot dead in front of Tak Bai Police Station, and one died from gunshot wounds in hospital. To date, there has been no investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.  

WGJP demands that Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej study the reports of the independent commissions and the different subcommittees, and study the footage and news of the incident. We also ask the Prime Minister to be responsible for the interview as it could create conflict and misunderstanding among Thais. WGJP also asks him to show his truthfulness in solving the violence in Southern Thailand by the following measures.  

1. We urge the government to expedite the judicial process regarding the death of the demonstrators where the relatives of the victims has filed charges. This is an important trial which would help society to understand the cause of death of the 78 demonstrators and the identity of the perpetrators of the deaths so that they can be brought to justice. We also ask for the investigation into the seven deaths outside Tak Bai police station to be expedited with a view to bringing the perpetrators to justice.

1. The government must reveal the entire facts of the incident, including the identity of the perpetrators to be held accountable for the deaths and injuries. The government must also abide by the recommendations of the independent commissions and different sub-committees of the senate that have investigated the incident.
2. The government must support the peaceful struggle of the people through judicial procedures.
3. The government must respect and uphold the people's right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, as stipulated in the Constitution of the Royal Thai Government and international human rights instruments to which Thailand is a party. The people's participation in putting forward their opinions to solve the problems must be supported.

Lastly the statement stresses the importance of the Tak Bai case, noting that the confidence of the people in three southern provinces in the judicial process will only be assured if justice and equity is upheld. The trial concerning the deaths and the truth of the incident are not only a concern to the international community and the people in three Southern Provinces alone but also a key factor in solving the violence in three Southern Provinces.

Translated by Pokpong Lawansiri