Two dozen children were among the 36 people in Thailand who were shot and slashed to death in an attack that shattered the serenity of the rural township, robbing the small farming community of much of its youngest generation in the blink of an eye.
“It is to bring the spirit back into her body,” Panomplai explained, holding her daughter warmly. “It’s like the spirit had left the body and it is being called back.”
“I never thought he would go inside,” she said as she looked across the driveway to the single-story building now adorned with flowers and other tributes to those killed. “We felt it across all the villages. I cried when I heard the news,” the 47-year-old sugar cane farmer said. “We all have children of similar ages, we all know each other.”
“Our community has been so happy, it is such a lovely place, and the perpetrator has damaged its future. These kids could have grown up to be anything, a member of parliament or even prime minister,” Chuanpit said.Thailand’s government is providing financial compensation to the families to help them with funeral costs and other expenses — at least 310,000 baht, which is about $8,300 and for many amounts to several months’ salary, if not more, in one of the country’s poorest provinces.
“If we do nothing, the psychological wounds or psychological trauma will be embedded in this generation,” she said. “Breathing was difficult, I can’t describe it, but when I found out my child survived I was relieved,” Panomplai said. “But I also wanted to know if she had any injuries, if there was any collateral damage.”
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