YALA : The provincial court ruled yesterday that five civilians, including three school students, were shot dead by police officers in Yala's Krong Pinang district last year.
The five victims were among a group of eight who were shot at as they fled from the officers who wanted to question them as part of a security operation.
However, the court, in its hearing on the inquest into the cause of the deaths of the five, said the policemen had only been performing their duties.
The court said Sakueri Japakeeya, 37, and Ismael Paetoh, 18, was shot dead by Pol Snr Sgt Maj Preecha Noonu, while Tushkeeree Yayor, 23, was killed by Pol Sgt Wirut Tipara. Lookmun Dueramae,19, was shot dead by Pol Sgt Maj Krissanakorn Klueaje and Sumree Dueramae, 18, was killed by Pol Sub Lt Suthon Narapong.
The five were killed on April 19 last year. The officers were from a special police task force.
The court said the officers had been performing their duties in the deep South, but sometimes found it difficult to distinguish separatists from civilians.
The eight men were sitting in a hut inside an orchard in Moo 6, tambon Sa-eh in Yala's Krong Pinang district when the officers arrived to question them. The group ran away and the officers fired at them, killing five of the eight.
Ismael, Lookmun and Sumree's parents said their sons were students who had returned home on holiday from their boarding schools a few days earlier.
On April 19, Ismael and Sumree had gone out together to trap birds in the jungle.
Lookmun, an elder brother of Sumree, went to find them to tell them to return home but after he joined them, he, too, was shot dead by the policemen.
Their parents requested help from the Cross-Cultural Foundation and Muslim Attorney Centre Foundation (MACF).
MACF lawyer Adilan Alee-ishoh, who is responsible for the case, said the court would send the case back via prosecutors to local police, who would decide whether to press charges against the officers.
