The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a Bangkok Criminal Court decision not to hear a petition from relatives of Tak Bai victims asking that it review the findings of the inquest by the Songkhla Provincial Court.
This photo shows some of the protesters arrested in Narathiwat's Tak Bai district on Oct 25, 2004. They were being piled aboard a military truck prior to the 120km journey to an army base in Pattani province. (EPA)
The Supreme Court ruled the Songkhla court had full authority in the Tak Bai inquest and the Bangkok court could not change its findings, as requested by relatives of the victims.
Thirty-four relatives of the 78 people who died in the 2004 crackdown on a protest in front of the Tak Bai police station filed an appeal with the Ratchada Criminal Court. They asked it to review the Songkhla inquest finding because it did not say who committed the act and caused the deaths.
The Criminal Court had dismissed the appeal saying that the Songkhla Provincial Court has the same jurisdiction as the Bangkok court and therefore it could not consider the appeal against the finding.
The relatives then appealed to the Supreme Court, which on Thursday upheld the Bangkok Criminal Court's decision.
Songkhla Provincial Court found in 2009 that 78 people rounded up in front of the Tak Bai police station on Oct 25, 2004 died due to suffocation while in custody and being transported to Ingkayuttaboriharn Camp in Pattani province.
Relatives of the deceased argued that the decision of the Songkhla court was unconstitutional, incomplete and unlawful and filed an appeal in Bangkok, seeking a review and revocation of the "unjust" ruling.
Meanwhile, two rangers were injured in two bomb attacks and 15 "soldiers go home" banners were found in the far South on Thursday morning.
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Pol Lt Apichart Dorloh, an investigating officer at Rangae police station in Narathiwat, said a 45-year-old ranger, Sgt Sitthichai Thongtung, was seriously wounded by a roadside bomb detonated while he was patrolling with six other rangers on a road in Rangae district about 8am.
Sgt Sitthichai, who sustained a head injury, was rushed to Narathiwat Ratchanakarin hospital.
A ranger was injured by a roadside bombing in Narathiwat's Rangae district on Thursday.
Pol Lt Apichart said the bomb, an estimated seven kilogrammes of explosive, was contained in a metal box hidden in roadside bushes and was triggered by a mobile phone. The explosion left a crater about 30cm deep and 60cm wide
He said the attack was likely carried out by insurgents hidding behind the bushes. The bomb went off as the team of rangers approached them.
The other road bombing occurred in the southern border province of Pattani about 5am.
Pol Col Jiraset Dao-ngerntrakul, chief of Saiburi police station, said a ranger, Ruempong Taweerat, sustained a body injury from the blast. He was now in a safe condition.
Pol Col Jiraset said the homemade bomb went off as a team of 12 rangers were on patrol in Saiburi district.
White cloth banners telling soldiers to get out of Thailand's southernmost provinces were found in 15 locations in six districts of Narathiwat early Thursday.
Pol Capt Prachuap Nimruang, chief of a bomb squad in Narathiwat, said authorities discovered five banners in Si Sakhon, three in in Su-ngai Padi, two in Yee Ngor, and one in Rangae, Muang and Cho Airong.
Pol Capt Prachuap said suspicious objects were spotted next to several banners, but no explosives were found.
Police blamed southern insurgents.