Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong said today that he expects a miracle will result in the arrest or surrender of some, if not all the 14 defendants in the Tak Bai massacre case, before the statute of limitations expires at midnight this Friday.
The defendants are divided into a group which comprises senior military and police officers and interior officials, including General Pisan Wattanawongkiri, then commander of the Fourth Army Region. The other group comprises mostly junior officers, such as truck drivers and civilians.
Tawee insists that the authorities have not dragged their feet, but have tried their best to bring all the defendants to justice, adding, however, that they have refused to surrender because they know that they will become free men at midnight on Friday. He did, though, warn that they will carry the stigma for the rest of their lives.
The justice minister noted that this is not the first time that defendants will have escaped justice due to the expiry of the statute of limitations, adding that many insurgents on police wanted lists will never be brought to justice for the same reason.
As far as the Justice Ministry is concerned, Tawee said that it has no authority to arrest the defendants, but the Department of Special Investigation, under the ministry’s supervision, has been helping the police in their pursuit of the fugitives.
Meanwhile, Pol Gen Kitrat Phanphet, the national police chief, assured that the police have been trying to arrest all the fugitives, since arrest warrants were issued by the Narathiwat provincial court.
He added that the Thai Interpol office has asked for international Red Notices to be issued for the fugitives, who are believed to have taken refuge overseas. Police have also sought cooperation from the public if they have any information about their whereabouts.
