A group of young Thai Muslims and activists launched a new campaign today, related to the Tak Bai massacre 20 years ago, by cycling along the same route taken by the 78 victims, from Narathiwat to the army base in Pattani.
All the victims died of suffocation during the 145-kilometer journey, so the campaign is intended to find symbolic “oxygen” for the victims.
The activity was held as the case reaches its statute of limitations this Friday, and it appears that it will be dropped, with all the defendants expected to remain free as none of them have surrendered or been arrested.
This morning, the group jointly prayed in a children's playground in front of the Tak Bai police station, where the crackdown occurred on October 5, 2004, before riding the route to the Ingkayuth army base in Nong Chik district of Pattani. Some Malaysians joined in.
The victims died after being stacked on top of each other in trucks for the five-hour journey.
An activist said that he has no hope that any of the defendants will be arrested, surrender or face justice. He is concerned that this development will cause resentment and distress among Thai Muslims and the victims’ families.
Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRCT) issued a statement today criticising the government for failing to bring those responsible for the massacre to justice, calling it a violation of the victims’ rights.
The NHRCT hopes that, as Thailand has been voted onto the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2025-2027 term, the government will prioritise facilitating justice and compensation in all forms, to prevent those affected by Tak Bai case losing faith in the country’s justice system.
