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July 12, 2006

Thailand: Poisoning Threats In Muslim South Dismissed

The Thai Army Commander in Chief, General Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, told reporters today that recently made claims that insurgents in the Muslim south were planning to poison food and water supplies were only "rumours", states TNA English News and the Nation. He said: "We must treat this kind of report with care because rumours only confuse the situation". He was speaking before leaving for three days to SIngapore on an official visit.

Sonthi also said that no new security policies have been introduced to stem the violence, which has claimed 1,300 lives in the south since the start of 2004. He said: "There should be no problem because I have already given instructions regarding a policy which we have followed. There should be nothing to fear", adding, "and officials on duty always have to be careful".

General Sonthi was recently placed in charge of all security operations in the southern provinces by Thaksin Shinawatra, the caretaker prime minister.

The Bangkok Post notes that intelligence sources have warned of a major attack in the deep South, which is expected to happen at the end of this month. On July 5, a meeting of the Permuda, a Muslim insurgent youth organisation, took place in a village between Yala and Pattani provinces. It is suspected that this meeting has given the date for coordinated assaults against civilians and authorities as between July 28 and July 30.

Police have identified the son of a village headman with the attack upon a school protection squad, which involved a bomb and a gun ambush. The incident on June 27 cost the lives of four defense volunteers and a soldier in Raman district in Yala province.

A security source has claimed that Sapaeing Bazo, leader of the insurgent grop Barisan Revolusi Nasional Coordinate has now left Thailand, and is being protected by high-level authorities in "another country". This country is almost certainly Malaysia. We reported on June 19 that Sapaeing Bazo was currently a fugitive, with a bounty of 10 million baht ($256,227 US) upon his head, hiding across the border in Malaysia.The same source said that main leaders of the Pattani United Liberation Organisation and the Muhajideen Islam Pattani insurgent factions are also being protected in this "country".

On Monday, a member of the Southern Border Provinces Peace-Building command was shot dead in Pattani province. 27-year old Muhamadyaki Sabeh was shot in the head while riding his motorcycle home from work. He was hit by two motorcycle riders, and died on his way to hospital. He had been shot by an AK-47 assault rifle. He was hit five times, in his head and torso.

Yesterday, The Nation reported that teachers will soon be trained in handling firearms by the elite Royal Thai Aide-de-Camp Department. This follows numerous attacks upon teachers and schools in recent months.

This department, which is a subsection of the Defence Ministry, will be travelling to the South. Its deputy, General Napol Bounthap said: "We have to be careful. Training teachers to use pistols is very sensitive and it could provoke a response from the militants."

It has already trained 900 teachers in the use of weapons over the past two years, and intends to train a further 1,000 this year. There are 861 schools in the three southern provinces, with 291,300 students being taught by 11,260 teachers. Since the insurgency began on Jan 4, 2004, when 20 schools were burned, more than 50 teachers have been killed, and more than 60 have been injured.

Yesterday morning, a rubber plantation owner was shot dead in Narathiwat province, states TNA English News. 52-year old Jeh-uma Yuso was found dead beside the road in Tambon Bango-sato. He had been riding his car when shot by unidentified assailants on a motorcycle.

His passenger, the assistant dead of Bango-Sato district, Abdulrahmae Muso, was unhurt in the incident.

In Ruso district, Narathiwat province, several houses were raided in Samakkhee (Sammakki) subdistrict and arrested 25-year old Ayu Barowee. 20 dummy guns were found in his possession. He was handed over to the Fourth Army Area Command in Yala province for questioning.

Ayu Baarowee is said to be one of the 10 arms experts of the Runda Kumpulan Kecil (RKK) insurgent group in Rueso district. RKK's commander is Rorhing Ahsong, also called Ustaz Rorhing.

On July 9, security forces surprised a training operation, involving dummy guns, where 30 teenagers were being given lessons in weapons handling in the village of Samakki.

The insurgency, which seeks to have Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani provinces secede from Thailand, began on Jan 4, 2004. The insurgents believe in the re-establishment of the former sultanate of Pattani, which used to be independent, and comprised the territory of the three provinces, as well as two districts of adjacent Songhkla district. Following an invasion, the sultanate of Pattani was officially annexed into Thailand a century ago.

The population in the southern provinces is 80% Muslim and these are ethnic Malays. The local Muslims speak Yawi, a dialect of Malay. The three southern provinces are the poorest in the country, with high levels of unemployment. The national average of unemployment is 14%, but in Yala it is 35%, in Narathiwat it is 28%, and in Pattani the rate is 25%.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at July 12, 2006 11:55 PM

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