Amnesty Accuses Thai Militants Of 'War Crimes'

[webfact]

Amnesty accuses Thai militants of 'war crimes'

BANGKOK, September 27, 2011 (AFP) - Insurgents in Thailand's Muslim-dominated deep south are increasingly targeting civilians in attacks that often amount to war crimes, Amnesty International said Tuesday.

The conflict has claimed thousands of lives since 2004 in Thailand's three southernmost provinces, which have been under a state of emergency for the past six years.

Amnesty said in a report that almost two-thirds of those killed were civilians, both Muslims and Buddhists, from farmers and religious leader to those with semi-official positions like teachers and civil servants.

The rights group said the war crimes accusation relates to increasing attacks against people taking no active part in what it described as an "internal armed conflict".

"Our conclusion is that the purpose of those attacks is to create terror," Amnesty researcher Benjamin Zawacki, the author of the report, said at a press conference in Bangkok.

Amnesty urged the insurgents "to immediately cease attacks deliberately targeting civilians, indiscriminate attacks, and other violations of international humanitarian law, many of which constitute war crimes".

The report said despite a large military presence in the south, authorities have been "unable to assert and exercise lawful control".

"Further, human rights violations by Thai security forces have contributed to the deterioration of safety, security, and protection in the deep south for those taking no active part in hostilities," it added.

Authorities have increased the use of village defence volunteers and paramilitaries, and have facilitated a "major proliferation" of small arms in the region, it said.

Around 4,800 people have been killed in near-daily attacks since early 2004, according to Deep South Watch, an independent monitoring group.

People in the region complain there is discrimination against ethnic Malay Muslims by authorities in the Buddhist-majority nation, including alleged abuses by the armed forces.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-09-27

[webfact]

Thai army chief visits troubled south; Amnesty condemns insurgents

BANGKOK, Sept 27 - Army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha is is Thailand’s troubled South today on an inspection trip of the insurgency-impacted border region.

Meeting the media before departing, he said that security in the area is less than it might be, but that it will be stepped up to contain the movements and actions of insurgents.

The visit of the Thai army chief came as London-based Amnesty International released a new report in the Thai capital saying that at least 4,766 people have died and 7,808 have been wounded in over seven years of the conflict.

Amnesty urged the insurgents in Thailand's southern border provinces to stop targeting civilians, saying many of the insurgent attacks constitute war crimes that should be prosecuted under international law.

"(The insurgents) have committed -- and are continuing to commit -- what amount to acts aimed at spreading terror among the civilian population, and which constitute war crimes," the London-based rights group said in a report.

Gen Prayuth met the media in Bangkok this morning before the human rights organisation announced its assessment of the human cost of the insurgency and the government’s response.

The rights group said that noncombatants have accounted for two-thirds of the nearly 5,000 people killed since insurgents took up arms in 2004.

Gen Prayuth is making his first inspection of army operations in Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala since multiple bombings shook Narathiwat's Sungai Kolok district Sept 16 killing five persons, including four Malaysian tourists, and wounding as many as one hundred others.

Responding to criticism of lax security, the army chief conceded that the government’s security measures are weak in some areas. He said that security will be improved but that resolving the insurgency must involve all parties concerned.

Gen Prayuth said that control measures on firearms, ammunition and explosives will be tightened, as well as measures to contain the movements of presumed insurgents.

“Some problems such as drugs and illegal petrol smuggling, and other criminal offences, are part of the violence," the army chief noted.

“We should realize that all the incidents stemmed from misunderstanding,” Gen Prayuth said.

“What should we do to enable Thai-Buddhists and Thai-Muslims to live peacefully as it was in the past? We must foster mutual understanding and government representatives must act to ensure fairness for everybody."

The army chief said that though the overall situation is gradually improving, the insurgents must be condemned for using violence against innocent people and government representatives.

Gen Prayuth urged local residents to join with the government to monitor the situation and any irregularities, while government personnel must also comply with the law in carrying out their operations and avoid heavy-handed measures against perpetrators as that could worsen the situation.

The army chief warned however, that government security forces must retaliate if they are first under armed assault. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-09-27

[OzMick]

Don't worry, it's under control! Yingluk is setting up a committee - should all be over in 6 months because rich people don't want to fight.

[blackout]

Amnesty for got to condemn thaksin? look at he south before thaksin took power and after that. what he have done to the south?

[lensta]

Amnesty for got to condemn thaksin? look at he south before thaksin took power and after that. what he have done to the south?

Not bad, got to post number 4 this time before Thaksin was introduced into the thread.

[PhilHarries]

Good old Amneasty International, bang up to date as usual.....NOT!

How many years has the insurgency been running in the south and how many teachers and other civilians have been killed? Sound like AI is looking for pastures new as everyone else is totally ignoring them.

I know they do a good job at highlighting real abuses of human rights, rather than the plastic version being tried on by British criminals, but when was the last time their efforts stopped anything? Governments the world over, of all persuations, just ignore them.

[Credo]

I have a fair amount of respect for AI. They don't necessarily do a lot, but when they speak, they do bring things out. They get press coverage and people hear about it.

There seems to be a point in a battle when you move from being an insurgent to being terrorists. Isn't that based on the targeting of civilians?

[tlansford]

Amnesty for got to condemn thaksin? look at he south before thaksin took power and after that. what he have done to the south?

Not bad, got to post number 4 this time before Thaksin was introduced into the thread.

well, looks like it was actually the 2nd poster as there were the 2 news pieces first...

[GeorgeO]

Amnesty for got to condemn thaksin? look at he south before thaksin took power and after that. what he have done to the south?

Not bad, got to post number 4 this time before Thaksin was introduced into the thread.

well, looks like it was actually the 2nd poster as there were the 2 news pieces first...

And the suggestion is that Thaksin is unrelated to the Southern troubles....??!!

[phiphidon]

Amnesty for got to condemn thaksin? look at he south before thaksin took power and after that. what he have done to the south?

Not bad, got to post number 4 this time before Thaksin was introduced into the thread.

well, looks like it was actually the 2nd poster as there were the 2 news pieces first...

And the suggestion is that Thaksin is unrelated to the Southern troubles....??!!

I think the suggestion is the fact that the OP is about AI accusing the Thai Militants aka Insurgents of comitting war crimes in the south not Thaksin and his relationship with the troubles in the far south.

[looping]

Amnesty for got to condemn thaksin? look at he south before thaksin took power and after that. what he have done to the south?

Not bad, got to post number 4 this time before Thaksin was introduced into the thread.

Honestly, I read the headline and thought it was about the red shirts

[richardblanc]

anywhere in the world

RELIGION AND POLITIC SUCK

if u not sure about politic u can be at 100% for any religion

any peoples looking for a god are part of this big shit

F..K lambs