By MA Kadir

To most, especially law enforcement officers and government officials, the answer to the question “Is violence justice?” is a resounding no. Violence is seen as an unlawful and immoral response, contradicting the principles of law, peace, and order.

But for the families and sympathizers of the victims of the 2004 Tak Bai Tragedy – a harrowing incident that saw 85 civilians suffocate to death while in military custody – violence might seem like the only remaining option to demand justice.

When the mechanisms of justice become tools of oppression, and when legal avenues are either blocked, delayed, or manipulated, violence starts to look less like chaos and more like desperate justice.

This article explores why the “no” to violence, though widely accepted, might fail to resonate with communities that have been marginalized, betrayed, and dismissed for years. While violence cannot be justified on moral grounds, this piece challenges the hypocrisy of dismissing it outright without acknowledging the systemic failures that leave affected communities with no recourse but resistance.

The Mockery of Justice: The Tak Bai Tragedy and Its Lingering Wounds
The Tak Bai Tragedy occurred on October 25, 2004, when security forces cracked down on protesters in Narathiwat Province. Hundreds of men were beaten, arrested, and packed into military trucks, forced to lie on top of each other. By the time they reached their destination, 85 people were dead, many from suffocation. To this day, none of the officials responsible have been held accountable.

The courts and the state have failed to deliver justice, and with the 20-year statute of limitations expiring on October 25, 2024, the chances for formal justice are all but gone.

For two decades, the affected families have been ignored and placated with hollow promises and compensation payouts, but compensation without accountability is a farce. In the eyes of many, it is blood money – an attempt to buy silence rather than deliver justice.

With the state failing to act, people begin to question the meaning of justice and whether the absence of violence truly serves their cause.

Why Say “No” to Violence When the System Favors the Oppressors?
In any functioning justice system, dialogue, law, and order should be the preferred avenues to resolve conflicts. However, what happens when those very institutions become instruments of suppression? When the law does not protect the marginalized but shields the powerful, the argument against violence becomes increasingly hollow.

Selective Enforcement of Law:
One of the glaring issues in the Tak Bai case is that arrest warrants for the suspects were only issued recently, despite years of advocacy from families and activists. Even then, the Royal Thai Police have failed to apprehend the suspects, some of whom are said to be hiding abroad.

The system protects the powerful – some of the accused are former military leaders and political figures – while punishing the weak. This selective enforcement delegitimizes the very foundations of justice. When laws are enforced only against the powerless, is peace still a virtue?

The Violence of Impunity:
State violence is often sanitized, framed as necessary for national security or peacekeeping. The deaths of 85 people in military custody were dismissed as an unfortunate incident, while the perpetrators walk free. But is impunity not a form of violence in itself?

When the justice system enables the guilty to evade accountability, it sends a dangerous message that the lives of ordinary people are expendable. This form of systemic violence fuels anger, resentment, and a desire for revenge among the victims’ communities.

When Peace Is a Mask for Oppression:
Calls for non-violence often come from those in power, who benefit from maintaining the status quo. The families of Tak Bai victims have waited for two decades, only to find that peaceful protests, petitions, and court appeals have yielded no justice. In this context, peace becomes a tool to silence dissent rather than a means to promote justice.

For the marginalized, non-violence feels like surrender, a quiet acceptance of injustice.

The Deep South: A Region on the Brink
The Tak Bai Tragedy is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of ethnic and religious tensions in Thai’s southern provinces, where the majority of the population is Malay Muslim. Decades of marginalization, military occupation, and cultural suppression have created a deep rift between the local population and the Thai state.

The government’s failure to address the Tak Bai case is seen as another betrayal, fueling resentment and radicalizing sections of the population.

With bombings and attacks already occurring in the Deep South – including recent incidents in Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat – the region is teetering on the edge of further unrest. Prachachat Party, which has the most political representation in the region, has openly warned that the government’s failure to act will trigger new violence.

For many, these attacks are not random acts of terror but expressions of frustration and rage, aimed at a system that has systematically ignored their pleas for justice.

Challenging the Hypocrisy of “No” to Violence
It is easy to say that violence is never the answer. But this idealistic stance becomes hypocritical when the same state that condemns violence unleashes it on its own people—whether through military force, arbitrary arrests, or extrajudicial killings. To deny marginalized communities the right to resist—even violently—while excusing the violence of the state is a moral contradiction.

When people are pushed to the brink, violence becomes the language of the unheard. While it is not an ideal solution, it is sometimes the only option left when every peaceful attempt has failed. Is it fair to demand that the oppressed remain peaceful while the oppressors continue to harm them without consequence?

A Call for Accountability and Genuine Justice
Violence may not be justice, but neither is silence. The call for non-violence must be accompanied by genuine efforts to address systemic injustices. In the case of the Tak Bai Tragedy, this means:

• Holding the perpetrators accountable, even if it means reopening investigations and pressuring the police to act before the statute of limitations expires.
• Acknowledging the state’s role in perpetuating violence and offering public apologies along with compensation.
• Empowering local communities in the Deep South by involving them in political processes and respecting their cultural identity.

If these measures are not taken, the cycle of violence will continue. The state cannot expect peace without justice, and it cannot condemn the violence of the oppressed while enabling the violence of the powerful.

Conclusion: A Fight for Dignity, Not Just Justice
In a world where justice is denied and laws are selectively enforced, violence becomes a desperate act of reclaiming dignity. While it is not the ideal path, it is often the only one left when all others are blocked. The families of the Tak Bai victims are not asking for violence; they are asking for justice – but when justice is denied, can we truly blame them for turning to other means?

Ultimately, the responsibility for preventing further violence lies with the Thai government. If it fails to act decisively before October 25, 2024, the message will be clear: in Thailand, justice is reserved for the powerful, and peace is a lie.

The state must choose accountability over impunity – because justice delayed is justice denied, and justice denied leaves only rage in its wake.