Khaosod English: An southern army commander has formally apologized the deadly raid that a fact-finding panel says killed four young men who had no connection to the local Islamic insurgency.
The four men, in their early twenties and thirties, were shot dead by security officers during a raid in To Chud village in Pattani province on 25 March. The military said the operation was an attempt to arrest insurgents, and initially identified two of the deceased as members of a militant group operating in the region.
The military also told reporters that three assault rifles were found next to the deceased, and that security officers only started shooting after the suspects opened fire.
However, an independent committee ruled today that the four men were not related to the insurgency, or armed when the raid took place, citing forensic evidence and witnesses' testimonies.
The panel's members included local administrators, human rights officials, military officers, representatives from the Central Islamic Committee of Thailand, and officials from Fatoni University, where two of the victims were enrolled as students.
He promised that the army will respect legal procedures, but added that "fairness must be granted to the security officers. We have to give time for them to prove themselves. We must also understand that security officers who work under these conditions may be frightened at times, which can affect their decision-making."
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