Abdulmamun’s brother, Mr Abdulrohim Abdullakim, told HRW that Abdulmamun had been at the wrong place at the wrong time. He said the intended target for the abduction was Baruhum and not Abdulmamun, but after bearing witness to the incident the police could not let Abdulmamun go free. The police knew that Abdulmamun would not remain silent, especially since the family had contacts among Muslim politicians in Narathiwat and at the national level.13 Baruhum had been suspected of being responsible for the shooting of an undercover policeman whose alias was ‘Se Deng’. In fact the officer’s real name was Colonel Sutham Sirinakanon and he was working with the drug unit. It is not clear what the officer’s assignment was exactly, but we know that before Baruhum disappeared he was imprisoned for two years under allegations of drug-use. His father and informant to this JPF report, Mr Ma-ela Binseu-mea, conversely informed that Baruhum was never truly involved in drugs; he was just taking the blame for his younger brother as he did not want him to go to prison. Baruhum’s father told HRW that he believed it very unlikely that his son was able to use a gun, let alone kill somebody. OFFICIAL ACTION: The respective families of the victims did not think formally complaining to the police would be any use as they knew wholeheartedly that ‚the police would never go after their kind‛. Abdulmamun’s brother even said to HRW that he had previously been told by senior police officers from Krong Prab and Park Khao that they would not hesitate to kill suspect drug-dealers and militants in the Deep South. Just before the victims disappeared, in February 2003, Thaksin Shinawatra’s Government instigated a widespread campaign called the ‚War on Drugs‛, purportedly aimed at suppressing drug use and trafficking. Yet, the methods to go about this suppression were not restricted, which opened the ‘green light’ to widespread abuses and many extra-judicial killings ensued. Incident 19 NAME: Mr Sagariya Gahjeh DATE OF INCIDENT: 29 June 2003 APPROX. LOCATION OF INCIDENT: between Banang Boo Jo village and Yala city, Yala district, Yala province DATE OF REPORT: 13 June 2011 (date of second report) ADDRESS OF VICTIM: 7 village no.5, Krong Pinang sub-district, Krong Pinang district, Yala province AGE OF VICTIM: unknown ETHNICITY: Malayu SUMMARY OF TESTIMONY: Mr Sagariya Gahjeh, a rubber tree orchard owner and father of three, disappeared just outside Banang Boo Jo village on the way to Yala city on 29 June 2003 at around 10 a.m.
The Thai Muslim political faction called the Wahdah (Unity) – formed in 1988 as a branch of the Democratic Party of Thailand, but specializing in specific Muslim matters. 13
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