Court issues arrest warrant for Thai MP over 2004 massacre

The Narathiwat provincial court issued an arrest warrant for 74 year old General Pisal Wattanawongkiri, a Pheu Thai Party list MP, in connection with the 2004 Tak Bai massacre case. This significant development, announced by the Cross Cultural Foundation today, October 4, comes at the request of the victims’ lawyer.

Gen. Pisal, a former commander of the Fourth Army Region, previously enjoyed parliamentary immunity, which protected him from legal prosecution. The 2017 constitution, however, contains a provision that allows the judiciary to prosecute MPs as long as it does not interfere with their parliamentary duties. Despite being summoned to stand trial earlier, Gen. Pisal failed to respond, leading to the issuance of the arrest warrant.

The foundation, which legally represents the families of the 85 people who died during the dispersal of protesters in Narathiwat’s Tak Bai district on October 25, 2004, stated that Gen. Pisal is now among seven defendants being prosecuted on multiple charges, including allegations of colluding to murder the protesters.

Gen. Pisal ordered the dispersal of the protest and declared an emergency decree at the protest site, which resulted in the deaths of seven demonstrators on the scene. A further 78 people died from suffocation or organ failure after approximately 1,000 protesters were piled up in several layers in 25 military trucks and transported 140 kilometres to Ingkhayutthaborihan military camp in Pattani.

Rangsiman Rome, a People’s Party list MP, accused the government of attempting to stall the legal proceedings in the Tak Bai case. Rangsiman claimed the government aims to delay the trial until the case’s 20-year statute of limitations expires on October 25, thereby protecting an important figure in the government from being implicated as the real mastermind behind the massacre.

“Now people tend to believe you and your political party aim to bring the case to an end by letting its statute of limitations expire without any hearing of witnesses because their testimonies will possibly point to the bigger name, won’t they?”

Tak Bai massacre

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai responded, asserting that Rangsiman’s question aimed to discredit the government and its so-called important person. He stressed that the case is undergoing a judicial process involving various parties, including police, prosecutors, and the court, reported Bangkok Post.

“If you ever have evidence to prove your claim that the police are dragging their feet, bring it out to prove the claim. Don’t just imagine things and make a groundless accusation out of that.”