Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday offered an apology for the Tak Bai massacre in Narathiwat in 2004, which took place during his administration.
During his tenure, he emphasized his concern for the people, acknowledging that there were errors in the execution of duties.
“If I made any mistakes that upset you, I apologize… Muslims are taught to love peace and forgive, so I would like to apologize for these mistakes,” Thaksin stated during his visit to Narathiwat yesterday.
On October 25, 2004, a demonstration outside the Tak Bai police station in Narathiwat province turned deadly, resulting in the deaths of seven Muslim protestors.
Subsequently, 78 more individuals succumbed to suffocation or organ failure while being transported in trucks to a military camp in Pattani province, situated about 150 kilometers away.
Before the confrontation, the protestors had been advocating for the release of six detainees. This tragic event unfolded during Thaksin’s tenure as prime minister.
Thaksin also remarked that he was not deterred by recent bombings in the deep South, despite the area being a target during his visit, following four unsuccessful assassination attempts on him.
“Someone might want to frighten me, but my heart is strong. I was unfazed by four previous assassination attempts. Regardless of the kind of reception I receive, I can take it all,” Thaksin said in Narathiwat.
He described the bombing at Narathiwat airport as a symbolic gesture.
Thaksin noted that his reception in the southern border provinces this time was more welcoming than the strained interactions he encountered at private schools in the area twenty years ago, viewing this change as a hopeful sign for resolving regional issues.
He mentioned the promise of enhanced international collaboration to tackle the challenges in the southern provinces, with Indonesia offering support.
“I anticipate significant advancements this year,” Thaksin, the father of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, declared.
He elaborated that increased international cooperation would help address the problems caused by individuals with dual citizenship who engage in cross-border terrorism, including efforts to negotiate with offenders to encourage their return to Thailand for national development.
Just before Thaksin’s visit, bombs exploded in the southern border provinces. In Yala province, a bomb detonated in front of a supermarket in Bannang Sata district on Saturday night, resulting in the death of a civilian and injuries to seven police officers.
The explosion occurred on Highway 10 outside a Mini Big C in Moo 2 village, tambon Bannang Sata, around 8:20 pm, while seven local police officers were conducting a patrol.
The blast claimed the life of Tuan Ibrawheng Nimi and injured the officers, along with four other civilians, according to Pol Maj Worawit Na Nakhon, an investigative inspector at Bannang Sata police station.
Authorities cordoned off the area as bomb disposal units and forensic teams collected evidence. The bomb, packed with steel shrapnel and housed in a fire extinguisher, also caused damage to several vehicles.
In Narathiwat province, an explosion targeted a firefighters’ pickup truck parked near the air traffic control tower at Narathiwat airport in Muang district, shortly before Thaksin’s delegation was due to arrive.
The explosion, which occurred at 8:50 am, about an hour before Thaksin’s plane landed, left four airport security guards wounded. All suspicious vehicles were removed from the vicinity before his arrival.
Accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong, Thaksin’s trip marked his first visit to the deep South in nearly two decades.
