PATTANI: The Pattani Provincial Court sentenced six men to death and four others to imprisonment in relation to a noodle shop explosion in the southern border province two years ago. The death sentence went to Ibroheng Yuso, Amree Lueyo, Santi Chantarasakul, Ayub Polee, Isma-ae Tuyong, and Nironig Niday.
The death penalty was commuted to life imprisonment for Aubdulloh Haye-uma, Ruslan Waehayee and Masan Salae for their useful information during trial. Hamit Jehma was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
Abdulkohar Awaeputeh, chair of the Muslim Attorney Centre Foundation in Pattani, said yesterday (May 1) that the foundation helped defend the ten men and the rulings read on Monday (April 30) were based on Masan’s confession and testimonies from interrogators and some suspects treated as witnesses.
The men were arrested in 2016 and 2017. Relatives of the convicted would appeal against the rulings.
The bombing occurred at a noodle shop in a municipal night market of Muang district, Pattani, at about 7pm on Oct 24, 2016. It killed a 60-year-old woman and injured 21 others including five children. One of the wounded, a Mathayom 6 student at the Prince of Songkla Demonstration School identified as Narisara Makchuchit, had one of her legs amputated and an eye removed by surgeons immediately after the bombing.
The blast was caused by a home-made bomb in a steel box detonated remotely by a mobile phone.
The incident took place a day before the 12th anniversary of the so-called Tak Bai tragedy in which 85 Muslim men died after being arrested and packed into trucks by army and paramilitary forces sent to Narathiwat’s Tak Bai district to break up an anti-government protest.
