By Riyaz ul Khaliq
ISTANBUL (AA) - Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra tendered an apology Thursday for the mass killing of 78 Muslims in what is known as the Tak Bai massacre in 2004 when her father Thaksin Shinawatra was in power.
"I apologize on behalf of the government for what happened in Tak Bai 20 years ago. I feel sorry for those affected," said Paetongtarn.
She said financial compensation has been paid to the families of the victims.
“I hope everyone remains mindful of the violence that occurred in the Tak Bai case. No one wants to see such an incident happen again. Every party, including the government, should do their best to ensure it doesn't happen in the future," she said.
The Tak Bai massacre occurred Oct. 25, 2004, after six village defense volunteers in the southern Narathiwat province were arrested Oct. 19 on suspicion of handing over their government-issued guns to insurgents.
The arrests triggered mass demonstrations and hundreds gathered at the Tak Bai police station, leading to a subsequent crackdown on demonstrators.
Security officials detained dozens and transported them to a military base in neighboring Pattani province where 78 people Muslims died from suffocation when they were piled up on army trucks on their way to the base.
Thailand will commemorate the tragedy Friday when a 20-year statute of limitations on the case expires.
A statute of limitations, also known as a prescriptive period in civil law systems, is a legislative act that establishes the maximum time after an event for legal proceedings to be initiated.
There are demands, however, that the Paetongtarn government should issue a decree to extend the statute of limitations in the case.
No one has ever surrendered nor taken responsibility for the massacre and no one has been arrested in the case.
Members of the Thai Muslim community as well as activists launched a campaign Wednesday to commemorate the deaths by cycling the same route as the victims from southern Narathiwat province to the Pattani army base.