Police see no signs of Tak Bai-related violence

National police chief Kitrat Phanphet said on Saturday that intelligence reports showed no signs of suspicious activity related to the end of the Tak Bai case.
He was responding to public concerns about possible violence in Bangkok or elsewhere, as the 20-year statute of limitations expired without any suspects being brought to court for the deaths of 85 protesters in Narathiwat province in 2004.
Pol Gen Kitrat said the relevant agencies have been closely monitoring the situation, conducting surveillance and gathering intelligence on any threats or signs of violence involving southern separatist elements or others.
He said he had held talks with other senior police officers who are coordinating intelligence efforts with the military, adding that there is no cause for public concern.
Concerns were raised in the past week about “third-party” groups that might try to stir up violence in the restive Muslim-majority southern border provinces to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the tragedy.
The statute of limitations for the Tak Bai case expired at midnight on Friday after no suspects in the case, including former Pheu Thai MP Gen Pisal Wattanawongkiri, then commander of the Fourth Army Region, appeared before the Narathiwat provincial court.
Seven demonstrators died in the Oct 25, 2004 crackdown on protesters in Tak Bai and 78 others later died from suffocation or organ failure while being transported in trucks to a military camp in Pattani province.
Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai on Saturday said authorities have been remaining vigilant to prevent any violence.
The government, he added, would heed the issues raised by the collapse of the Tak Bai case and use them to resolve further issues.
He also defended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s handling of the case, saying the incident took place two decades ago and it would not be right to hold her to account.
Ms Paetongtarn’s father Thaksin was prime minister when the events occurred. He apologised two years ago for the way it was handled but without accepting responsibility. His daughter issued her own apology this week.
Mr Phumtham insisted the prime minister did her best to ensure that justice would be allowed to run its course, but it was not possible for the government to pass an executive decree to extend the statute of limitations for the case.
Mr Phumtham, also the defence minister, said he plans to visit the deep South because he is in charge of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC) and the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc).
He also urged the public not to link the fatal shooting of a policeman in Pattani on Friday to the Tak Bai anniversary, saying violence in the region is not necessarily related to the case.