THAILAND/MALAYSIA: RELATIVES GRIEVE DEATHS OF 78 MEN IN ARMY CUSTODY/THAI PM THAKSIN SAYS DETAINEES SUFFOCATED AND DIED DUE TO TIREDNESS AND HUNGER
Record ID:
647749
THAILAND/MALAYSIA: RELATIVES GRIEVE DEATHS OF 78 MEN IN ARMY CUSTODY/THAI PM THAKSIN SAYS DETAINEES SUFFOCATED AND DIED DUE TO TIREDNESS AND HUNGER
- Title: THAILAND/MALAYSIA: RELATIVES GRIEVE DEATHS OF 78 MEN IN ARMY CUSTODY/THAI PM THAKSIN SAYS DETAINEES SUFFOCATED AND DIED DUE TO TIREDNESS AND HUNGER
- Date: 27th October 2004
- Summary: (W4) PATTANI, THAILAND (OCTOBER 27, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. VARIOUS OF STREET OUTSIDE ARMY BARRACKS WITH RELATIVES WAITING TO GET IN (2 SHOTS) 0.14 2. SCU: NOTICE BOARD SHOWING NAMES OF PEOPLE WHO DIED 0.18 3. CU: PEOPLE READING NAMES ON BOARD 0.23 4. RELATIVES GRIEVING 0.28 5. RELATIVES WAITING TO GET INTO ARMY BARRACKS 0.32 6. PEOPLE BEING STOPPED FROM ENTERING 0.37 7. CU'S: WOMAN CRYING (2 SHOTS) 0.47 8. PEOPLE PEEPING INTO ARMY BARRACKS OVER FENCE 0.52 9. FAMILY WRAPPING DEAD BODY WITH CLOTH IN TRUCK (2 SHOTS) 1.00 10. OFFICIAL SPEAKING TO RELATIVES 1.04 11. GRIEVING RELATIVES 1.09 (W4) BANGKOK, THAILAND (OCTOBER 27, 2004) (REUTERS) 12. THAI PRIME MINISTER THAKSIN SHINAWATRA SURROUNDED BY JOURNALISTS 1.12 13. (SOUNDBITE) (English) THAI PRIME MINISTER THAKSIN SHINAWTRA (Answering to question: "Will things get worse in the south after this?") SAYING: "No I don't think so. I think that people understand the authority has done it in proper way according to the rules of riot control, we do it step by step and we try to convince them and bring the cousin of the defendant to tell the public that they are not worried because the next day they are going to get bail so they have no problems. We tried to bring the religious leaders to talk to them and they just don't listen, because some of them, maybe the key figures in that group, probably have some influence of some kinds of drugs." 2.02 14. SCU: THAKSIN SURROUNDED BY MEDIA 2.04 (W4) KUALA LUMPUR (OCTOBER 27,2004) (REUTERS) 15. GV: KUALA LUMPUR WITH PETRONAS TOWRS 2.07 16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT FOR A JUST WORLD CHANDRA MUZAFFAR SAYING: "There has to be a thorough investigation, and more importantly the Thai Government must address the underlying causes. I do not think that this belligerent approach, a very forceful approach, to use a mild term is going to solve problem. Its going to make things worse and I hope the Thai Government does not continue to pursue this particular approach to the problem, use another strategy, use another approach and then you will be able to solve the problem." 2.41 17. CU: HANDS OF MUZAFFAR 2.45 18. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHANDRA MUZAFFAR SAYING: "Now what's going to happen is, those who have been affected personally by the killings, yesterday, they may want to seek revenge and the cycle of violence is going to go on. This I think is really tragic." 3.00 (W4) PATTANI, THAILAND (OCTOBER 27, 2004) (REUTERS) 19. MILITARY POLICE TALKING TO PEOPLE 3.04 20. POLICE DIRECTING CARS 3.08 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 11th November 2004 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: PATTANI AND BANGKOK, THAILAND/ KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
- City:
- Country: Malaysia Thailand
- Reuters ID: LVA4CTJNV91KU3BI04TJDNUVEOIU
- Story Text: Relatives grieve deaths of 78 men in army custody as
Prime Minister Thaksin says detainees suffocated and died due to
tiredness and from hunger.
Grieving relatives sought loved ones among the dead
in Thailand's restive Muslim south on Wednesday
(October 27) amid fears of a violent backlash after
almost 80 Muslim
protesters suffocated to death in army custody.
More than 300 relatives, many of them sobbing women,
pored over lists of the dead, alive and unidentified
outside an army barracks in Pattani province where more
than 1,000 Muslim protesters are being held after Monday's
(October 25) violent demonstration. The 1,500-strong rally
was dispersed by troops firing live rounds, tear gas and
water cannon outside a police station in Narathiwat.
The 78 male protesters died of suffocation as they were
taken in trucks from the scene of the protest in Narathiwat
to the barracks 100 km (62 miles) away.
Another six were killed at the demonstration, the worst
violence since April in the restive, mostly Muslim deep
south of the predominantly Buddhist kingdom.
The huge leap in the toll and the manner of the deaths
are expected to fuel tension in Thailand's three
southernmost provinces where 440 people have now died in a
wave of violence since January.
Officials said some of the protesters were armed, and
under the influence of drugs or were frail because of
fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
This is also what Thai Prime Minister Thaksin
Shinawatra said on Wednesday adding that although mistakes
were made leading to the deaths of 78 Muslims in army
custody, authorities followed "riot control" rules to
handle the situation.
"No I don't think so. I think that people understand
the authority has done it in proper way according to the
rules of riot control, we do it step by step and we try to
convince them and bring the cousin of the defendant to tell
the public that they are not worried because they are going
to get bail so they have no problems. We tried to bring the
religious leaders to talk to them and they just don't
listen, because some of them, maybe the key figures in that
group, probably have some influence of some kinds of
drugs."
Thaksin also said the 78 men died because they were weak
from fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The Nation newspaper blamed the tragedy on Thaksin's
"contempt for human rights" and his iron-fisted approach to
a region that is home to most of Thailand's six million
Muslims.
"Now this flawed trait of his leadership is threatening
to plunge the country into the bitterest and most
detrimental divide between people and state," it said.
The Bangkok Post said the tragedy could drive Muslim
youths into the hands of militants "bent on creating an
Islamic state in southern Thailand".
With an election expected early next year, Thaksin is
under pressure to resolve the trouble that analysts fear
could create a fertile breeding ground for militant
networks such as Southeast Asia's al Qaeda-linked Jemaah
Islamiah.
In neighbouring Malaysia, Dr. Muzaffar, President of
the International Movement for a Just World in Malaysia,
said Thailand risks a Muslim uprising in the south.
"There has to be a thorough investigation, and more
importantly the Thai Government must address the underlying
causes. I do not think that this belligerent approach, a
very forceful approach, to use a mild term is going to
solve problem. It's going to make things worse and I hope
the Thai Government does not continue to pursue this
particular approach to the problem, use another strategy,
use another approach and then you will be able to solve the
problem," said Muzaffar.
"Now what's going to happen is, those who have been
affected personally by the killings, yesterday, they may
want to seek revenge and the cycle of violence is going to
go on. This, I think is really tragic," added Muzaffar.
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