Wissanu Loetsongkram Returns to Tha Uthen: Reflections on the 2004 Tak Bai Tragedy

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In the heart of the serene province of Nakhon Phanom lies the district office of Tha Uthen, a quaint locale now abuzz with an air of quiet resolution. This site marks the professional home of Wissanu Loetsongkram, who once more walks its halls in his capacity as assistant district chief. The story of his return, however, is far from ordinary and is steeped in a dark episode of history that many wish to leave behind.

The resonant toll of justice—or perhaps its silence—echoed across the region as Wissanu resumed his duties on a recent Monday. Just days prior, the statute of limitations expired on a case involving unspeakable tragedy at the Tak Bai rally two decades ago. The protests of October 25, 2004, which resulted in the deaths of 85 demonstrators, have been etched deeply into the annals of contentious history. But now, as the clock struck 11:59 p.m. on that defining Friday, the case was closed without a single defendant having faced trial.

The provincial court in Narathiwat officially drew the curtain on this chapter by Monday, bringing the saga cemented in sorrow and legal stagnation to an administrative end. Wissanu Loetsongkram, embroiled as one of eight accused in this protracted predicament, was notably the first to step back into the public sphere as a free man.

Back in 2004, amidst the chaos and cries for justice, Wissanu was implicated in the dire events. It was alleged that he drove one of the truckloads of detained protesters—packed in horrific conditions—from the site of uprising near Tak Bai police station to the army fort at Ingkayutthaboriharn, deep in Pattani province. This perilous journey tragically resulted in the suffocation of 78 individuals during the drive—an unthinkable loss that remains a stark reminder of human dignity compromised.

Despite his alleged involvement, Wissanu staunchly maintains his role as a mere subordinate, a truck driver following orders. His rank at the time within the 5th Infantry Division remains shadowed in uncertainty. “I was just a driver,” Wissanu is quoted in official reports, deflecting deeper questioning on the horrific day. His reticent stance echoes through official statements, sparking contemplation yet invoking an understanding of hierarchy and the chain of command so rigidly followed within military operations.

Upon his return, Wissanu dutifully checked in with his superior, Tha Uthen district chief, Preecha Sa-ingthong. It’s reported that Wissanu had been on extended sick leave since October 15, surfacing again only as the legal noose of his past involvement slackened with time’s passage.

Nestled along the gentle divide of the Mekong River, Tha Uthen shares its borders with Khammouane province in Laos. It stands as a tranquil place, perhaps at odds with the tumultuous twist of fate its district assistant chief previously weathered. Meanwhile, Wissanu’s co-defendants, also liberated by the expiry of the statutory period, find their names engraved on the list of those once accused:

• Maj Gen Chaloemchai Wirunpetch, former commander of the 5th Infantry Division
• Lt Col Prasert Mattamin
• Sub Lt Nutthawut Luamsai
• Lt JG Wissanukorn Chaisarn
• Piti Yarnkaew
• CPO3 Ratchadet Sisuwan
• Lt Ritthirong Promrit

In the eyes of the law, these figures, like Wissanu, have emerged unscathed by judicial proceedings, their past cloaked somewhat in the shadows cast by time’s relentless march forward. Whether Nakhon Phanom, with its idyllic landscape, can provide solace or merely serve as the backdrop to lingering whispers of morality, conscience, and justice, perhaps only time will truly tell.