BANGKOK: Thaksin Shinawatra’s tenure as Prime Minister carries a deep scar, especially concerning the unrest in Thailand's three southernmost provinces. His attempts to restore peace only seemed to escalate tensions, leading to widespread violence and numerous casualties.
One infamous moment came with Thaksin's use of the phrase “petty criminals” to describe insurgents. This statement intensified the confrontation between insurgent groups and state authorities, resulting in ongoing conflict to this day.
A particularly tragic incident occurred on Oct 25, 2004, during the dispersal of a protest in Tak Bai, Narathiwat Province, where 84 people lost their lives. This event marked a turning point that further expanded violence in the region.
On Oct 19, 2004, police in Tak Bai arrested Kama Ali and six others — village defence volunteers — on charges of handing over government-issued shotguns to criminals and falsely reporting them as stolen. Their arrest prompted widespread outrage.
By Oct 25, a large crowd had gathered outside the Tak Bai police station, demanding the immediate release of the detainees. The crowd swelled to 300–400 people by 10am, and by 1pm, the Fourth Army Region Commander, Lt Gen Pisan Wattanawongkiri, ordered the protest to be disbanded, as martial law had been declared in the area.
Attempts to negotiate, involving local officials and the families of the detainees, failed as protesters continued their demands, taunting the authorities.
As tensions rose, Maj Gen Chalermchai Virunhphol, commander of the Fifth Infantry Division, called for reinforcements and brought in 25 trucks in preparation for dispersal.
At 4pm, security forces moved in, arresting the protesters and packing 40–50 individuals per truck. At 7pm, the convoy headed for the Ingkhayuthboriharn Military Camp in Pattani.
Tragically, by the time the trucks reached the camp at 9pm, 78 detainees had died of suffocation during the journey. Combined with seven deaths during the protest, the total number of casualties reached 85.
However, during the court inquiry at Songkhla Provincial Court, it was concluded that the cause of death was “asphyxiation while in the custody of officers performing their duties”.
Nineteen years later, on Aug 23, 2024, the court accepted the first batch of charges in the Tak Bai case involving seven defendants, including General Pisan, former Fourth Army Region Commander and current member of parliament for the Pheu Thai Party.
On Sept 12, the Attorney General ordered the second batch of charges involving eight defendants.
Today, only days remain before the statute of limitations expires on Oct 25, 2024. The long delay before these defendants faced justice has led to accusations of case stalling due to the involvement of high-ranking former military officers.
Despite this, the court has accepted the first batch of charges, which includes General Pisan, a current Pheu Thai party-list MP. This has brought the “Southern Insurgency” issue back into the spotlight, especially with links to Thaksin Shinawatra.
It is said that General Pisan is close to Thaksin, earning him a place on the Pheu Thai party list. The acceptance of the Tak Bai case has reignited pressure for the former Fourth Army Region Commander to take responsibility, though General Pisan has remained out of the public eye, avoiding scrutiny.
This has fuelled attacks from opposition parties, further straining the Pheu Thai government. Given Pisan’s association with Thaksin, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and the Pheu Thai Party initially delayed taking action, enduring months of political pressure before allowing General Pisan to resign from his position as a party-list MP.
Nineteen years later, the Tak Bai massacre, which once haunted Thaksin, has returned to haunt Paetongtarn.
This ongoing legal saga raises questions about whether Paetongtarn’s government will follow in the footsteps of her father’s administration, and how it will affect the Pheu Thai Party going forward. - The Nation/ANN
