Wife of victim of death in custody at Ingkhayut Camp, complaining to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture

Press Release: Wife of victim of death in custody at Ingkhayutthaborihan Military Camp, Pattani complaining to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture (For immediate release on 28 December 2015)

27 December 2015, wife of a suspect who died mysteriously while being held in custody at the Ingkhayutthaborihan Military Camp, Pattani, has sent a message via email to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture asking for an “inquiry into the death of Mr. Abduldayib Dolah whose death in custody took place in the Ingkhayutthaborihan Military Camp and asking for justice”. The four-paged document refers to the incidence on 11 October 2015, when Mr. Dolah was apprehended around 1.30am as his house in Ban Kolo Tanyong, Nong Chik District, Pattani, was laid siege by over one hundred security officers. During the operation, the officers wore facemasks which terrified the whole family.

During the 25 days of the custody at the Ingkhayutthaborihan Military Camp, he received visit by his relatives every day, though it took place only briefly each time with rather short conversation. His wife noticed the stress and fear suffered by her husband, though she could not recount any visible sign of wound on his body. She was told the interrogation took place during nighttime and her husband had been forced to make the confession though he refused to do so since he had not committed such thing. On 4 December 2015, around 7.30am, local military officers came to her home and brought her to the Ingkhayutthaborihan Military Camp together with the Village Headman. There, the Village Headman whispered to her that her husband had died. Later the body had been transferred for body examination without dissecting at a hospital in Hat Yai. Permission had been sought to collect DNA samples from his saliva, semen, bloodstain, and watery fluid in his eyes to detect any chemical residue. During the body examination, it turned out that military officers came in and had some quarrel with the physician from time to time. On the same day, the body had been retrieved to perform religious rite.

Two days after the death, an inquiry committee was set up by the Internal Security Operations Command Region (ISOC Region 4) to look into the case. Even though the inquiry was led by civilian officers at the provincial level, but she was convinced there should be staff from UN human rights agencies to help conduct the inquiry as well since they come from a neutral side and could command confidence and trust from the family. She herself has refused to be part of the inquiry committee.

In the letter, several observations have been made regarding the death of her husband including his lying posture, the dress he wore on, the appearance of the bedding and prayer mat, bloodstain on his chest, the time after his death and how the information given by the military officers in charge of the detention was confusing, and the reference to another death in custody of Mr. Sulaiman Nasae and how justice had not been delivered in that case. And on 16 December 2015, when the result of the body examination was announced, it was stated that no cause of death could be determined. Mr. Dolah’s wife thus has to resort to the help of the United Nations for them to participate in the inquiry of the death and to restore justice for her.

The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Mr. Juan E. Méndez, an Argentinian lawyer, has three main roles including sending urgent communications to the member country alerting of them complaint on alleged torture received, the submission of report of the inquiry to the UN Human Rights Committee, and to the UN General Assembly and the visit made to a member state of the UN to uncover the truth in the country. Thailand has sent a reply to invite Mr. Juan E. Mendez to visit the country for four years since the last Universal Periodical Review (UPR), but it has also asked to reschedule the visit dates at least four times. Until now, Thailand has not set the clear dates for the visit by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.

For more information, please contact the Cross-Cultural Foundation (CrCF) 02-6934939