No arrests have been made following a tragic attack on high school students.
Two high school students were killed after being attacked with swords in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Tuesday, with Thai media stating that Shan youth were responsible.
The Thai Rak Thai news agency reported that an alleged Shan “samurai gang” had targeted four students riding on two motorbikes past Pratu Thapae park at about 3:00 a.m. Two of the students were stabbed after falling off their motorbike; the two who escaped called the police for help.
One of the students who was stabbed died on the scene, another died after arriving at the hospital. Both were 16 years old and Thai nationals.
Thai police are currently collecting CCTV footage of the area and compiling evidence. At the time of reporting, no one had been arrested for the crime.
Sai Peing, who works for the Thai Human Rights Foundation, emphasized the fact that while “no one knows who the criminals are,” the entire Shan community is often blamed for the actions of a few.
“I want to warn all Shan migrants that if there is an incident, many people want to point the finger at migrant workers,” he told SHAN. “I want to urge all migrants to be cautious when living in another country. If we make a problem, the consequences will affect our ethnic people.”
In the past, Thai media reported that pedestrians stabbed in Chiang Mai had been attacked by young Shan migrant workers. However, in these cases, the perpetrators did not always end up being Shan youth.
Pratu Thapae park, located on the east moat of Chiang Mai’s central Old City, is a popular gathering place for locals and tourists.
