Massacre at a child care centre in Thailand

Massacre at a child care centre in Thailand

15-10-2022

Vittoria De Bortoli 

Human Rights Researcher 

Global Human Rights Defence

On October 6th 2022, 36 people were killed, at least 24 of them were children, in a massacre happened in a child care center in northeast Thailand. At least 10 other people were wounded, six of them critically. The attack is considered as the country’s deadliest of its kind.

The attacker was a former policeman, Panya Kamrab, who was dismissed from his post last year over drug allegations. After the attack he barricaded in his house and killed his wife and his son, just before committing suicide. 

Panya went to the child care to look for his son, but he wasn’t there, therefore he started shooting and stabbing people and children. Close to 30 children were present at the time of the attack, the number was fewer than usual because of heavy rain. The range age was from two to five years, and most of them were asleep when it happened, since it was nap time. 

Running away from the child care center he also killed nine more people. 

Police stated that he was on drugs at the time of the attack and he was supposed to appear in court on Friday, but did not add something else.

Mass shootings are rare in Thailand and regulations on firearms are relatively restrictive, even though gun ownership is high, compared with other countries in Southeast Asia. 

After this massacre new measures were introduced: authorities started to recall guns from officials who have misused them or behaved aggressively on duty, and officials with gun licenses will also need to undergo a regular mental health review. In addition, the Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha ordered authorities to revoke gun licenses from people who are determined to act in a way that may threatens society.




Sources and further reading: 

Kocha Olarn and Heather Chen, Dozens of children among at least 36 people killed in child care center massacre in Thailand, CNN. Retrieved on October 6, 2022. From:

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/06/asia/thailand-mass-shooting-intl-hnk/index.html

Wilawan Watcharasakwej, Rebecca Tan, Annabelle Timsit and Maite Fernández Simon, Thai ex-officer attacks day-care center, killing dozens, including 24 children, The Washington Post. Retrieved on October 6, 2022. From:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/10/06/thailand-daycare-children-attack/

Kelly Kasulis Cho and Vasapa Wanichwethin, Thailand gets tougher on guns after child-care massacre that killed dozens, The Washington Post. Retrieved on October 12, 2022. From: 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/10/12/thailand-gun-control-daycare-mass-shooting/

Vorasit Satienlerk and Athit Perawongmetha, Thailand massacre: ex-cop kills 24 children in kife and gun rampage, Reuters. Retrieved on October 6, 2022. From:

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/least-20-people-killed-mass-shooting-thailand-police-2022-10-06/



Photo supplied by Sakdipat Boonsom/Handout via REUTERS