Thai army apologises for killing Muslim civilians

Thailand’s military admitted on Tuesday that four Muslim people killed by army rangers this week as civilians had no connection to an armed movement in the Muslim region.
The killings prompted an outpouring of anger by rights groups and southern Muslims.
Since being deployed to the region in early 2004, Thai security forces have been accused of a litany of abuses, including torture, arbitrary arrests, rape and murder.
Army commander-in-chief Prayuth Chan-ocha apologised to the families of the victims killed in Pattani on Sunday night and said the rangers were under pressure to respond after insurgents attacked a nearby military base with assault rifles and grenades.
Local villagers are angered by what they say is a lack of any real justice for Muslims, with the authorities reluctant to prosecute rogue police, soldiers and armed guards believed to have carried out extrajudicial killings.
An army spokesman said on Monday the four men, who were in the back of a pickup truck in which a rifle was found, were killed after “gunmen” opened fire on troops who attempted to approach the vehicle to carry out an inspection.
Deputy Prime Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha, a retired army general, said further investigation was needed to determine whether the rangers should take the blame.
“If our officers were in fact guilty, they will have to face up to these charges and apologise,” Yuthasak told reporters, adding that compensation and justice would be given to the families of the victims.
Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani provinces were once an independent Muslim sultanate known as Patani until occupied by predominantly Buddhist Thailand.
Local Muslims oppose emergency rule Thai government extended repeatedly and the presence of thousands of soldiers deployed including Thais armed by the state.
Human rights groups have previously accused Thai authorities of major abuses in the south, including the use of unnecessary force in the 2004 siege of a mosque in which 32 suspected insurgents were killed.

Source: World Bulletin