BANGKOK: The southern army chief said he is concerned that third parties may take advantage of the expiration of the 20-year-old Tak Bai massacre case to step up attacks.
Pol Lt-General Phaisarn Noosang, commander of the Army Area 4, expressed this concern to a special House committee studying and seeking a peaceful solution to the violence in the deep South of Thailand.
Phaisarn told reporters on Thursday (Oct 24) that the panel had summoned him to inquire about the army’s measures to tackle problems after the Tak Bai massacre case’s statute of limitations runs out on Friday.
Though Phaisarn did not explain which third-party groups he was worried about, Thai authorities have often said that not all violent attacks in the deep South are carried out by insurgents. They said some were also staged by drug and contraband smugglers to distract the authorities from their crimes.
Academics have warned that if no suspects in the Tak Bai massacre were brought to justice before Friday, insurgents may step up attacks to avenge the deaths of 85 Muslim protesters.
Seven of the protesters were shot down in front of the Tak Bai Police Station on Oct 25, 2004, while another 78 died from suffocation after being stuffed into trucks to be transported to an army camp in Pattani province.
So far, none of the 14 suspects in two lawsuits filed by public prosecutors and relatives of those killed have been charged in court.
Phaisarn said the House panel had asked him what the southern army will do to deal with the protests or violent attacks that may erupt after the case expires on Friday.
He said he told the panel that Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai had instructed him to ensure peace and order in the southernmost provinces and that military operations do not violate the law.
Phaisarn said he has informed the House panel that security agencies also sought cooperation from local and community leaders to watch out for possible operations by third-party groups. He added that police and military units will also step up security.
He went on to say that though the BRN insurgency group has been launching violent attacks now and then just to stay in the news, the situation in the deep South was not worrying so far. - The Nation/ANN
