Truth Commission: A mistaken shooting in Pulo Puyo case
Para-military rangers "mistakenly" killed four Malay Muslim villagers on their way to a mosque in Tambon Pulo Puyo, Nong Chik district of Pattani on January 29 after a nearby ranger’s outpost came under attack by suspected Islamic insurgents, according to the findings of the independent Truth Commission.
The Truth Commission headed by Mr Waedue Ramae Mamingji, president of Pattani provincial Islamic committee, was set up by the order of Lt-Gen Udomchai Thammasarorach, commander of the Fourth Army Region to investigate the fatal shooting of a group of Malay Muslims on the night of January 29 in which four of them were killed and four others injured.
The commission focused its probe on three issues: basic facts about the case which include the timing and location of the shooting, the surrounding environment and the activities of the two parties concerned namely the rangers and the victimized villagers; the weapon found in the pick-up truck in which the victims were traveling; and the insurgent attack of the ranger’s outpost.
On the first issue, the commission concluded that all the nine Malay Muslims were on their way to a mosque for prayers and then to participate in a funeral in Ban Thung Po, Nong Chik district of Pattani. Laboratory tests of the DNA samples of three injured confirmed that none of them have ever committed any criminal offences which could link them to the insurgents.
On the second issue about the gun found in the victims’ pick-up truck, the rangers had claimed that they were shot first from someone from the direction of the vehicle, forcing them to return fires which resulted to the casualties. They also claimed that they found a gun in the vehicle.
However, the Truth Commission discovered that the cartridges found near the truck did not match with the gun in question. Also, no traces of gunpowder and chemicals were found on the bodies of the villagers. The commission, therefore, concluded that none of the nine villagers carried or used any weapon. However, the commission did not go further about how the gun ended up in the truck.
As for the third issue about a related violent incident in which a ranger’s post was attacked before the shooting incident, the commission concluded that the rangers had mistakenly shot at the villagers becaused they just had been attacked by suspected insurgents and it might be possible that the rangers might have been biased against the villagers and suspected that they might be insurgents.
A report of the commission’s findings will be submitted to Lt-Gen Udomchai and eventually released to the public.
A member of the Truth Commisson, Mr Prasit Meksuwan, said that besides the report about the Pulo Puyo case, the commission would also make eight recommendations to prevent such a tragedy from being repeated.
He said that the commission’s task was to find out the truth about the tragedy and not to finger-point anybody as the guilty party. It is the court which will decide who is right and who is wrong, he added.
An eye-opening report from a human rights activist
Earlier on March 15, one day ahead of the Truth Commission’s meeting to wrap up the investigation, Ms Pornpen Kongkachornkiat, a member of the Cross Cultural Foundation, made a field trip to talk to villagers in Tambon Pulo Puyo in Nong Chik district of Pattani.
In her report about the trip, Ms Pornpen said that there were still traces of fear and sorrow in the faces of several villagers although it was almost two months since the fatal shooting took place.
The villagers still make merit every Friday in memory of the four dead victims. But there is no definite answer from the villagers about how long they will carry on with the merit-making ritual. Or until they receive the justice? Said the human rights activist in her report.
She said that she discussed with the villagers about the legal aspects abut the case, noting that the case will go to the court whatever the result of the investigation by the Truth Commission. Relatives of the dead victims can also appoint their own lawyers to pursue the case in the court.
The Cross Cultural Foundation and the Foundation of Muslim Lawyers Centre have promised legal counseling for villagers who need legal assistance to ensure fairness.
In the report, Ms Pornpen said the Pulo Puyo case could follow the case of Imam Yapa Kaseng case in which family of the dead imam was given 5.2 million baht in compensation from the State.
The activist reported that she talked with a relative of one of the dead victims, 18-year old Ropa Bueraheng, who said one of the witnesses told her that Ropa was still alive while an army helicopter was hovering over the scene of the shooting. But by the time he was taken to the hospital he was already dead.
One of the survivors, a student in Bangkok who went home for a visit, said he feigned dead while the helicopter was hovering over the scene and he heard more gunshots. He said when a reporter arrived at the scene he grabbed the latter’s hand to show that he was still alive.
Ms Pornpen also observed that it took about three hours from the time the shooting started at about 8.30 p.m. before the wounded were taken to the nearest hospital. Had they been taken to the hospital sooner some of the wounded might survive, she added in her report.