Don Pathan
The Nation January 31, 2012 8:51 am
Authorities are debating about admitting that the shooting death of five villagers were "a case of mistaken identity" and pay compensation for the victims.
However complicating the mater is the fact that many senior security leaders have already jumped to the conclusion that the dead were insurgents.
According to informed sources from the Interior ministry, the army and the police, the shooting death of the five funeral goers, along with the three injured, were carried out by a group of paramilitary rangers from Pattani’s Nong Chik district after a heated argument between the two side.
A weapon was planted in their truck to make it seems that they were insurgents, the sources said.
"It was purely emotional that led to this. They were in a shouting match," the sources said. Their accounts matches the villagers’ version, but contradicted a number of senior military and Deputy Prime Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapa who pretty much concluded that the shooting were justified.
According to the sources, the funeral goers’ truck were stopped by a group of paramilitary ranger at one location and were instructed to take a detour because half an hour prior to that a group of insurgents had fired four M79 grenades into their base camp. Only one of the four grenade exploded, said the source.
The funeral goers followed the instruction of the first Paramilitary Ranger unit and took the detour as they were told. But when they ran into another unit of rangers, also on foot patrol to secure the area following the M79 attacks, the villagers were searched and told to get out of their trucks.
A heated debate broke out and couple of the Rangers commence fire at the truck, killing four at the scene and injured four others. The fifth victim died Monday.
District chief of Nong Chik and other non-military officers were not permitted to enter as the victims bleeds in their trucks. The district officers had to sneak into the village from the back, the local villagers and officials said.
"Some lives could have been saved," said Angkhana Neelaphaijit, head of the Justice for Peace Foundation. "There has to be a thorough investigation into this. A simple DNA check would revealed who planted the weapons in the truck. The military have lied to the people in the past about the killings in the deep South," she added.
The sources said there were survivors and possible eyewitness to the scene of the attack and a thorough investigation would prove that the villagers were innocent.
One way out of this, said the source from the army and Interior Ministry, is to admit to the killings but stated that it was a big misunderstanding and provide financial compensation to the families of the dead.
"Even if we clear this with the family of the victims, the damage is irreversible for many people in the community," said the army officer who spoke on condition of anonymity.
There have been reports about possible peace process, a dialogue with the separatist movement, from various quarters, including the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre (SBPAC).
"If they are not willing to get to the bottom of this, you can forget about peace dialogue or what have you. This is another moment of truth for Thailand," Angkhana said.
According to informed sources from the Interior ministry, the army and the police, the shooting death of the five funeral goers, along with the three injured, were carried out by a group of paramilitary rangers from Pattani’s Nong Chik district after a heated argument between the two side.
A weapon was planted in their truck to make it seems that they were insurgents, the sources said.
"It was purely emotional that led to this. They were in a shouting match," the sources said. Their accounts matches the villagers’ version, but contradicted a number of senior military and Deputy Prime Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapa who pretty much concluded that the shooting were justified.
According to the sources, the funeral goers’ truck were stopped by a group of paramilitary ranger at one location and were instructed to take a detour because half an hour prior to that a group of insurgents had fired four M79 grenades into their base camp. Only one of the four grenade exploded, said the source.
The funeral goers followed the instruction of the first Paramilitary Ranger unit and took the detour as they were told. But when they ran into another unit of rangers, also on foot patrol to secure the area following the M79 attacks, the villagers were searched and told to get out of their trucks.
A heated debate broke out and couple of the Rangers commence fire at the truck, killing four at the scene and injured four others. The fifth victim died Monday.
District chief of Nong Chik and other non-military officers were not permitted to enter as the victims bleeds in their trucks. The district officers had to sneak into the village from the back, the local villagers and officials said.
"Some lives could have been saved," said Angkhana Neelaphaijit, head of the Justice for Peace Foundation. "There has to be a thorough investigation into this. A simple DNA check would revealed who planted the weapons in the truck. The military have lied to the people in the past about the killings in the deep South," she added.
The sources said there were survivors and possible eyewitness to the scene of the attack and a thorough investigation would prove that the villagers were innocent.
One way out of this, said the source from the army and Interior Ministry, is to admit to the killings but stated that it was a big misunderstanding and provide financial compensation to the families of the dead.
"Even if we clear this with the family of the victims, the damage is irreversible for many people in the community," said the army officer who spoke on condition of anonymity.
There have been reports about possible peace process, a dialogue with the separatist movement, from various quarters, including the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre (SBPAC).
"If they are not willing to get to the bottom of this, you can forget about peace dialogue or what have you. This is another moment of truth for Thailand," Angkhana said.
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