A setback for justice in the far South
By the News Desk
Human rights advocacy groups in the far South have recently been dealt a double blow when a suspect in the I-payae mosque attack in Narathiwat last year and six government officials accused of beating to death an imam (Muslim religious teacher) two years ago, also in the same province, were left off the hook.
Suthirak Kongsuwan, a paramilitary ranger, was the only suspect held by police for alleged involvement in the gun attack of the Al Furgon masjid (mosque) in Ban Ai-payae, Cho Airong district on June 8, 2009 in which ten Muslim worshippers were killed and 12 injured. The suspect turned himself in at the Police Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok on January 14 this year and was granted bail.
According to informed police sources, Suthirak was a former paramilitary ranger based in Cho Airong district. He was however dismissed from the service after he was found to be involved in narcotics trafficking. Besides the mosque attack allegation, he was also suspected to be involved in the murder of a villager in Narathiwat.
The other suspect, Lookmun Lateh Buereng, a villager of Ai Payae, is still at large.
However, the Central Investigation Bureau police team investigating the case recently decided not to press charges against Suthirak on ground of insufficient evidences. One of the investigators was reported to have said that the probe team had checked the suspect’s use of mobile phone and had visited the crime scene and did not find any evidences suggesting of the suspect’s involvement in the mosque attack.
Despite the police decision not to press charges against Suthirak, the case file has been passed on to the Narathiwat public prosecutors for consideration.
Reacting to the police decision, Mr Sitthipong Chantharaviroj, a lawyer and secretary of the Foundation of Muslim Laywers Centre, said he was surprised, adding that the decision would disappoint many locals as the case has been the subject of great interst of people in the three southernmost provinces.
He, however, noted that police should have some incriminating evidences against Suthirak otherwise the court would not have issued a warrant for his arrest.
Meanwhile Mrs Angkana Nilapaichit, the widow of slain Muslim human rights lawyer Somchai, said she was shocked by the police decision.
“When police decided not to press charges against Suthirak, this means he is not the offender. The next question is that who were the real perpetrator or perpetrators who committed such an outrageious crime? There must be an answer to the question, the justice process cannot just stop at this point,” said Mrs Angkana.
As for the death of Mr Yapa Kaseng, the imam of Ban Kortor, Ruesoe district of Narathiwat, five army troops and a police officer, Pol Col Thanongsak Wangsupa, former superintendent of Ruesoe police, were accused of being responsible for his death. But since investigation into the case was alleged to be proceeding at snail’s pace, the victim’s wife, Mrs Nima, decided to lodge charges of illegal detention and assault against the six officials to the Narathiwat provincial court herself.
On September 2, the court decided to dismiss the charges against the five army officers on the ground that the case was within the jurisdiction of the military court, not the cilivilian court. As for Pol Col Thanongsak, the case against him was also dismissed by the court. The court ruled that there was no law barring the police officer of presenting the victim to the media.
However, the victim’s widow, Mrs Nima, said she would appeal against the court’s ruling. She said that the case was the first that the damaged party decided to bring charges against government officials instead of public prosecutors.
Her lawyer, meawhile, said that it was not possible for a civilian to bring the case to the military court after the court ruled that the case was within the jurisdiction of the military court.
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Captions :
1 I-payae mosque
2 Mr Yapa Kaseng