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| Southeast Asia |
| Inquest: Thai police gunned down 4 unarmed civilians |
| 2016-09-17 |
| [AFP] An inquest has ruled that security forces gunned down four unarmed Muslim men in southern Thailand, a rare finding that could pave the way for landmark prosecutions of government officials. No one from Thai security forces has ever been jailed for extrajudicial killings or torture in the far south, despite frequent allegations of abuse. Two villagers and two students were gunned down on March 25 last year during a raid in Pattani province when security forces opened fire on a group of suspected insurgents. Initially, the authorities said the men were armed militants, but an investigating panel set up after the killings revealed the four to be unarmed civilians. Weeks after the killings, Thai police said seven security officers would be charged with murder over the incident. More than a year later, however, no charges have been brought. Activists hope the ruling will finally see criminal charges brought against the culprits Ms Pornpen Khongkachonkiet of Amnesty International Thailand said, "Sadly, this is not an extraordinary case... we have handled similar cases before. But in the end, you never see any punishment for the officials." Muslims in the region feel "nothing has changed since Tak Bai", she added, referring to the deaths in 2004 of dozenss of Muslim demonstrators detained by the authorities, a clarion call for the insurgency to this day. Military spokesman Colonel Pramote Prom-In said,"When there has been a mistake, we cannot deny responsibility... but a court will decide whether the authorities are guilty of rights violations." |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #1 A fifth member of the insurgent group escaped with the weapons, making the four remaining unarmed civilians? |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2016-09-17 08:02 |