JAKARTA - A former police officer named Panya Khamrab (34) killed dozens of people at a child care facility in Uthai Sewan City, Nongbualamphu, Thailand on Thursday (6/10) afternoon. About 38 people died, 23 of whom were children aged 2-5 years.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha expressed his condolences.
"Our condolences are for the families of the victims, both those who died and those who were injured," said Prayuth as quoted by BBC.
He instructed all relevant institutions to help the victims and their families. Also, asking the police to speed up investigations to uncover the incident.
Launching Aljazeera, Payya came to a child care facility to look for her child. He came during lunch. According to the district official, Jidapa Boonsom, about 30 children were in storage when the attacker arrived.
Knowing his son wasn't there, he went berserk. Shooting staff and slashing children one by one with a knife.
"There were several staff who had lunch outside the baby's room and the attacker parked his car and shot dead four of them. Including a teacher who was eight months pregnant," said Jidapa.
Initially people thought it was fireworks. Very surprising. We were so scared and ran away as soon as we found out it was a shooting. Once many children were killed, I've never seen anything like this," Jidapa said.
After that, another eye witness Nanthawum said, "The shooter broke down the door with his feet and then went inside and started slashing the children's heads with a knife."
After carrying out the action, Panya fled by driving a Toyota pick-up car with the Bangkok number plate. Witness Pawena Purichan admitted that he had passed the perpetrator.
"He (Anya) was driving recklessly. Hit a motorcycle until two people were injured. I rushed away from him. There was blood everywhere," said Pawena.
Thailand police spokesman Paisan Luesomboon said Payya was a former police officer who was fired last year for drug use. Prior to this, he had also been on trial on charges of selling methamphetamine. He was under intense stress.
After carrying out the action, the perpetrator then went home and killed his wife and child.
"Then he committed suicide with a shot," said Paisan.
Thailand's National Police Commissioner, General Damrongsak Kittiprapat apologized on behalf of his troops.
"We believe the attacker is targeting a child care center because it is close to his home, although we still need to investigate the actual motive," said General Damrongsak.
"I want to apologize for what happened and will take this incident as a lesson to increase our tactics and prevent it from happening again," he added.
BBC journalist for Southeast Asia, Jonathan Head, says possessing a gun is a common thing in Thailand, especially for a former police officer who is relatively easy to get a firearm. But mass shooting cases with child victims or school students are low.
On the same day, a number of Thais were commemorating the events of October 6. They gave alms to monks, and placed bouquets of flowers as an action to commemorate the dozens of students who died in the massacre by the right-wing military group.
The most brutal episode in modern Thailand's history that took place at Thammasat University 46 years ago.
Thailand's political condition in 1973 was in transition. The regime of Tiga Tiran, Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn, Field Marshal Praphas Seluhathien, and Colonel Narong Kittikachorn were ousted. All three even had to leave for Singapore.
However, according to Wikipedia, conditions did not improve. Riots still occur in a number of areas during the 1973-1976 period. The military is concerned that the notion of communism that is starting to spread in neighboring countries also enters Thailand and threatens the interests of the monarchy and the military itself.
They then decided to bring back former leaders Thanom and Praphs back to Thailand to control the situation.
A number of people commemorated the massacre incident on October 6, 1976 at Thammasat University. At least 45 people, mostly students, were killed by paramilitary groups around the university after they were accused of being communists. (Twitter/@KhaosodEnglish)
In response to the return of Praphas on August 17, 1976, thousands of students rallied at Thammasat University for four days. The clash with Gour Merah and Nawaphon occurred and killed four people.
Two days later, Thanom returned to Thailand and went straight from the airport to Vihara Wat Bowonniwet, where he was cremated as a monk in a private ceremony.
Demonstrations continued and grew bigger. The security forces were even more violent.
Two activists who put up anti-Thanom posters were beaten to death and hanged on the wall. A barbarity that was immediately proven to be the actions of Thai police," Wikipedia wrote.
Four to five thousand students from various universities also demonstrated at Thammasat University against the return of former military dictator Thanom Kittikachorn to Thailand from Singapore.
Demonstrations were carried out for more than a week. Filled in, among others, with drama performances.
The drama that was staged featured a story where one of the scenes featured the hanging penalty for Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn.
This intercessionization was staged by student protesters at Thammasat University on October 4. It is regrettable that students at the end of the garrote have a resemblance to the Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn," still from Wikipedia.
The following day, when Prime Minister of Art struggled to gather his cabinet, the Dao Siammenerbitan newspaper published the photo of the fake hanging away on its front page.
In response to the insult, the military and police, as well as paramilitary forces surrounded the university. Just before dawn on October 6, 1976, attacks on protest students began and continued into the day.
The massacre of Thammasat University to this day remains a sensitive topic in Thailand's history. The Thai government said 46 were killed, 167 injured, and 3,000 people arrested. Meanwhile, those who survived said more than 100 people died.
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