BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's prime minister on Thursday apologised for the deaths two decades ago of dozens of Muslim protesters who were piled up in army trucks, hours from the expiry of the statute of limitations on an incident over which no state official has been convicted.
The security crackdown in the southern town of Tak Bai in 2004 caused the deaths of 85 people and was one of the most high-profile events of a separatist insurgency that re-ignited that same year and has since killed more than 7,600 people.
"I am deeply saddened for what happened and apologise on behalf of the government," Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said, vowing to ensure no repeat of such events.
The incident in predominantly Buddhist Thailand captured international attention and drew widespread condemnation, after 78 people were crushed to death or suffocated while bound and piled on top of each other in army trucks. Seven others were shot dead.
The crackdown was widely known as the Tak Bai massacre and took place under the administration of Paetongtarn's father, Thaksin Shinawatra, a key figure behind her ruling Pheu Thai Party.
Attempts to prosecute security personnel have failed, including two in the past two months.
In August, a court accepted a criminal lawsuit by victims' families against seven senior officials, among them a retired general and ruling party lawmaker, but all of those failed to show up at a hearing. A separate case against eight other personnel filed by the attorney-general last month has made no progress.
Paetongtarn said the incident should not be politicised, adding the statue of limitations could not be extended because it would be a breach of the constitution.
Thai police have said they were actively tracking all 14 suspects and had issued Interpol red notices.
"Although the case is expiring, history and memories do not," Ratsada Manooratsada a lawyer for the victims' families told Reuters.
"(The families) will never forget because the perpetrators were not brought to justice."