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Thailand’s
Mosque Killings Inquiry Slammed
The Asian
Centre for Human Rights, a New Delhi based regional human rights
center, today termed the Commission of Inquiry ordered by the government
of Thailand on 4 May 2004 into the killings at Pattani's Krue Se
Mosque on 28 April 2004 as “restrictive, unrepresentative and inconsistent
with international standards on independence and impartiality” for
holding such inquiries. Although four members out of the six members
of the Inquiry Commission are Muslims, majority of the members are
government servants. “The inability to include any body from Pattani
reflects the insincerity of the government. It is an attempt to
deflect international attention and not an attempt to establish
the truth and justice” – stated Mr Suhas Chakma, Director of Asian
Centre for Human Rights.
The Commission of Inquiry
is mandated only to inquire the killings at the Krue Se Mosque whereas
the killings had taken place all over Pattani. “The killings all
over Pattani and the use of disproportionate force in violation
of the United Nations Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials
by the Thailand’s Army should be one of the key issues of the inquiry
and not the killings in the Krue Se Mosque alone. The government
of Thailand is already shying away from an independent and impartial
inquiry,” – alleged Mr Chakma.
The inclusion of Phummarat
Thaksadipong, a former director of the National Intelligence Agency
undermines the independence and impartiality of the Commission.
The government has failed to include any member of the National
Human Rights Commission and civil society organisations.
The Asian Centre for Human
Rights calls upon the government of Thailand to conduct the hearing
of the inquiry in public and provide guarantees for full safety
and security to those who depose before the Commission.
For more information please
call Suhas Chakma, Director of Asian Centre for Human Rights in
New Delhi, India at +91-11-25503624 or 25620583
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