Thailand To Probe Army Shooting Of Four Muslims

[Lite Beer]

Thailand to probe army shooting of four Muslims

by Boonradom Chitradon

BANGKOK, January 31, 2012 (AFP) - Thailand has ordered an investigation into the deadly shooting of four Muslim civilians by paramilitaries in the restive south, a top official said Tuesday, after the deaths sparked local outrage.

An elderly man and an 18-year-old boy were among those killed when Thai army rangers opened fire on a pick-up truck on Sunday night in Pattani, one of three Muslim-dominated southern provinces plagued by years of violence.

Troops said they had heard a gunshot before the shooting, which also injured three other teenage boys and a 76-year-old man. Survivors said the truck was carrying mourners returning from a funeral, according to local police.

"Today we are not convinced that we are absolutely in the right because the four victims are not militant sympathisers," said Deputy Prime Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa, who oversees Thai national security.

He said the probe would assess whether the proper procedures had been followed by paramilitaries, adding that if it was found that the men were shot in error, the state would apologise and pay compensation.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra also commented on the incident, amid concerns that the deaths could deepen discontent in the south.

"If these people are really civilians, as it has been reported, then we are ready to remedy the situation," she told reporters.

A complex insurgency, waged without clearly stated aims, has riven Thailand's deep south near the border with Malaysia for years, resulting in a heavy presence of government troops, supported by armed paramilitaries.

Struggling to quell the unrest, authorities have imposed emergency rule, which rights campaigners say effectively gives the army legal immunity.

Sarawut Aree, at the Muslim Studies Center of Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University, warned that the shooting could worsen the bloody conflict in the region by exacerbating local tensions.

"Several incidents, including this one, have caused mistrust between the state and local Muslims, and among Buddhist and Muslim residents," he said.

"If this was the fault of the authorities, they must remedy it quickly or it will increase sympathy for militants."

Officials have suggested that the people in the pickup truck could have been used as human shields by an insurgent who was on the run from authorities.

Two guns were found in the truck, according to a police report on the incident, although it did not reveal whether either had been fired. Police said the driver told officers that the weapons did not belong to the passengers.

In Yala, another insurgency-prone province, Islamic clerical leader Ma Samae said he was not satisfied by the army's explanation of the shooting.

"Authorities said that militants mixed with villagers who were returning from funeral prayers, but this explanation hurts Muslim sentiment," he said, adding that officials should be prosecuted if they were found to be in the wrong.

Almost 5,000 people -- both Buddhists and Muslims -- have been killed and 8,300 wounded since the unrest began in 2004, according to local conflict monitor Deep South Watch.

People in the region complain of a long history of discrimination against ethnic Malay Muslims by authorities in the Buddhist-majority nation, including alleged abuses by the armed forces.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2012-01-31

[webfact]

SOUTH CRISIS

Rangers behind killings of funeral goers: Nong Chik villagers

Don Pathan

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Authorities are debating about admitting that the shooting death of five villagers were "a case of mistaken identity" and pay compensation for the victims.

However complicating the mater is the fact that many senior security leaders have already jumped to the conclusion that the dead were insurgents.

According to informed sources from the Interior ministry, the army and the police, the shooting death of the five funeral goers, along with the three injured, were carried out by a group of paramilitary rangers from Pattani’s Nong Chik district after a heated argument between the two side.

A weapon was planted in their truck to make it seems that they were insurgents, the sources said.

"It was purely emotional that led to this. They were in a shouting match," the sources said. Their accounts matches the villagers’ version, but contradicted a number of senior military and Deputy Prime Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapa who pretty much concluded that the shooting were justified.

According to the sources, the funeral goers’ truck were stopped by a group of paramilitary ranger at one location and were instructed to take a detour because half an hour prior to that a group of insurgents had fired four M79 grenades into their base camp. Only one of the four grenade exploded, said the source.

The funeral goers followed the instruction of the first Paramilitary Ranger unit and took the detour as they were told. But when they ran into another unit of rangers, also on foot patrol to secure the area following the M79 attacks, the villagers were searched and told to get out of their trucks.

A heated debate broke out and couple of the Rangers commence fire at the truck, killing four at the scene and injured four others. The fifth victim died Monday.

District chief of Nong Chik and other non-military officers were not permitted to enter as the victims bleeds in their trucks. The district officers had to sneak into the village from the back, the local villagers and officials said.

"Some lives could have been saved," said Angkhana Neelaphaijit, head of the Justice for Peace Foundation. "There has to be a thorough investigation into this. A simple DNA check would revealed who planted the weapons in the truck. The military have lied to the people in the past about the killings in the deep South," she added.

The sources said there were survivors and possible eyewitness to the scene of the attack and a thorough investigation would prove that the villagers were innocent.

One way out of this, said the source from the army and Interior Ministry, is to admit to the killings but stated that it was a big misunderstanding and provide financial compensation to the families of the dead.

"Even if we clear this with the family of the victims, the damage is irreversible for many people in the community," said the army officer who spoke on condition of anonymity.

There have been reports about possible peace process, a dialogue with the separatist movement, from various quarters, including the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre (SBPAC).

"If they are not willing to get to the bottom of this, you can forget about peace dialogue or what have you. This is another moment of truth for Thailand," Angkhana said.

-- The Nation 2012-01-31

[webfact]

Slain Pattani residents are not insurgents : Deputy PM

Photo : Charoon Thongnual

BANGKOK: -- Deputy Prime Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha conceded on Tuesday that the four villagers slain Sunday night in Pattani were not insurgents, pledging that fair treatment and justice would be given to both military rangers and families of the four.

The Pattani governor and Region 4 Army commander have been assigned to probe the incident in which four Muslim villagers were shot to death in Nong Chik district Sunday night, Gen Yuthasak said.

Meanwhile, a military investigation found that the victims were not linked to any armed militant group in the southernmost provinces.

Gen Yuthasak, who supervises national security, said Pattani Governor Teera Mintrasak and Region 4 Army commander Lt Gen Udomchai Thammasarorat were investigating the matter and considering the legality of the military operation, that is whether the rangers acted under the rules of engagement.

He said the military has a code of conduct in reference to targets but the circumstances and situation on the day had to be taken into consideration in ruling who was right or wrong.

If the rangers' action was correct, then the authorities would seek a better understanding with the villagers and the wider public, he said.

The deputy premier conceded that the operation might not have been entirely appropriate as the investigation showed that the four were not insurgents. The Region 4 Army commander reported that one person might have used the eight innocent people as human shields. If so, an investigation was needed to clarify the incident.

Gen Yuthasak said he believed the incident would not escalate into a more complicated situation as the probe was underway. If any officials were found to be wrong, they were ready to apologise.

He pledged to give fair treatment and justice to both the rangers and the families of the four killed to prevent any misunderstanding.

An unknown number of assailants fired three M-79 grenades at a ranger base in Nong Chik district late Sunday night. The rangers fired back and pursued the group. A departing attacker reportedly ran and jumped into a pick-up truck. The rangers then alerted local authorities to intercept them until they found a suspicious pick-up truck.

The rangers challenged the men in the vehicle to identify themselves, but heard a gunshot as they approached the vehicle. The soldiers then shot at the vehicle resulting in four dead and five wounded.

As for the firearms found in the pickup truck, Gen Yuthsak said the villagers believed they were left in the vehicle, but the rangers asserted that they did not leave the firearms in the truck.

Pattani governor Theera Mintrasak said he had ordered setting up a fact-finding committee to probe the case and a result is expected to be known within 30 days. The case will proceed in accordance with judicial procedures.

The governor expressed deep sorrow for the families of the dead and wounded, saying he and the village head have spoken with residents to build understanding . Compensation of Bt100,000 has been paid to each family.

-- The Nation 2012-01-31

[webfact]

SOUTH

Army chief regrets shooting

The Nation

Army chief : Rangers' killing of Pattani villagers a misunderstanding; PM vows to see justice done

PATTANI: -- Army commander General Prayuth Chanocha yesterday said he regretted the shooting incident in Pattani on Sunday in which five villagers were killed by a group of Army paramilitary rangers, but insisted it had been as a result of a misunderstanding and confusion.

The general, who asked for public sympathy for his subordinates, said an investigation into the incident was under way and anyone found at fault for not following the rules of engagement would be punished.

"If everyone wants security and order, but doesn't want the existence of rules of engagement or the presence of the military, I'd like to ask whether that is possible. If it is, like if Bangkok were to have no police, then the military would pull out from the South," he said.

"Don't make an issue out of this. I am making a statement about the incident and the issue based on facts, not siding with my subordinates," he added.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said the government would ensure justice applied to all parties in Sunday's incident.

If the dead were really innocent, the authorities would take care of their cases, but at this stage, the Army will conduct an investigation to establish the facts, she said.

As a result of Sunday's events, two locally recruited rangers' companies were yesterday ordered to relocate, being replaced by a ranger unit from Nakhon Ratchasima.

The 4302nd and 4306th companies are normally based in the Pattani district of Nong Chik with troops recruited from local communities, while the replacement 2206th ranger company is a northeastern elite unit that will initially be based at Phya Inthira camp.

Meanwhile, relatives of the five villagers killed, including one who died yesterday morning from wound trauma, yesterday met with military officers and Fourth Army Area commander LtGeneral Udomchai Thammasarojrat to discuss further compensation measures in addition to the Bt100,000 given initially to each of the families of those killed, and Bt10,000 to each of the three others wounded in the shooting.

Udomchai promised the relatives a fair and thorough investigation into the shooting, said Army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd.

Sansern said the key points to be scrutinised were whether the rangers had followed the rules of engagement, whether they had used excessive force upon deciding to engage the situation, and whether shots had been fired from the pickup in which the nine villagers, including one person who was unscathed, were travelling.

Speaking to the media later in the day, Udomchai called on members of the public in the South to be aware of the insurgents' tactic of using innocent civilians as shields to further instigate division between the authorities and residents.

According to sources in the Interior Ministry, the Army and the police, the shooting was carried out by a group of rangers after a heated argument had broken out with the occupants of the truck. A weapon was planted in the vehicle to make it seem that they were insurgents, the sources said.

This version of events is at odds with comments made on Monday by Deputy Prime Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha, who said: "Why, if those killed and wounded were indeed villagers, were a number of war weapons found in the pickup?"

"If they were villagers on the way to say prayers, why were they running away when asked to stop?" he added.

"It was purely emotion that led to this. They were in a shouting match," said the sources, whose accounts match the villagers' version but contradict a number of senior military officials and Yuthasak, who pretty much concluded that the shooting was justified.

According to the sources, the truck, which they said was carrying funeralgoers, was stopped by a group of paramilitary rangers at one location and instructed to take a detour, because half an hour prior to that a group of insurgents had fired four M79 grenades into their base camp.

Only one of the grenades exploded, said one of the sources.

"Some lives could have been saved [if the military had acted differently in regard to the shooting]," said Angkhana Neelaphaijit, head of the Justice for Peace Foundation.

"There has to be a thorough investigation into this. A simple DNA check would reveal who planted the weapons in the truck. The military have lied to the people in the past about the killings in the deep South," she added.

-- The Nation 2012-02-01

[webfact]

Police: Rangers shot at truck on hearing gunfire

The Nation

PATTANI: -- Pattani provincial police reported that on January 29 Sunday at 8.30pm a group of rangers was on patrol on Road 418 in Nong Chik district when they found eight or nine people in a pickup truck. Officials signalled them to stop the vehicle in order to search it for illegal items, when the sound of gunfire was heard.

Rangers returned fire into the truck, resulting in five deaths and three injuries.

No casualties were on the official side, the police report said.

An AK47 rifle and .45calibre pistol were found at the crime scene.

Police made the observation that there had been a grenade attack on a ranger unit before the patrol set out on Road 418 to hunt for the attackers.

The patrol rangers believed the pickup on the road was carrying the attackers but in fact they were local Muslims on their way to evening prayer at a mosque nearby, according to relatives.

Officials gave hand signals to the vehicle to stop, but it was dark and the driver did not see the signs clearly. He parked and ran away when the rangers started shooting.

A primary check found that no name on the list of the dead and injured matched any on the records of suspected insurgents, the police report said.

It was possible the incident was due to a misunderstanding by the rangers, it said. They might have mistakenly believed the people in the pickup were those who had attacked the ranger unit and run away. The rangers might have been unduly wary after intelligence reports circulating that an insurgent group under the leadership of Masorle Dueramae would attack the ranger unit in Nong Chik.

Religious leaders in the area might exploit the incident as an excuse to call a protest in front of Inkayutthaborihan military camp in Pattani demanding justice for local people, the report said.

-- The Nation 2012-02-01

[ozzieman05]

If you are a red shirt you can do almost anything illegal and if your hurt the government will throuw masses of money to you

But if you are innocenet in the south, then you have no worth

Not hard to see double standards from the group that called double standards as their motto

[phiphidon]

If you are a red shirt you can do almost anything illegal and if your hurt the government will throuw masses of money to you

But if you are innocenet in the south, then you have no worth

Not hard to see double standards from the group that called double standards as their motto

Security officials supposedly following rules of engagement react in a disproportianate manner and the end result is innocent people dead - same in the north as well as the south. Initial compensation paid, more to come probably the same as the dead/injured red shirts received. What somebody should look at is the common denominator - The security forces and their chief Gen. "Don't make an issue of this" Prayuth.

[Reasonableman]

exploiting the incident to demand justice??? Doesn't the incident itself demand justice without any protest? More deaths... so sad, so sickening, so frequent...

[OzMick]

If you are a red shirt you can do almost anything illegal and if your hurt the government will throuw masses of money to you

But if you are innocenet in the south, then you have no worth

Not hard to see double standards from the group that called double standards as their motto

Security officials supposedly following rules of engagement react in a disproportianate manner and the end result is innocent people dead - same in the north as well as the south. Initial compensation paid, more to come probably the same as the dead/injured red shirts received. What somebody should look at is the common denominator - The security forces and their chief Gen. "Don't make an issue of this" Prayuth.

You missed the other common denominator - M79 grenades being fired at security forces. Do you really expect muslim vilagers will get B7.5 million each in compensation?

[OzMick]

Are Rangers normally equipped with AK47s and .45 pistols? Wouldn't the serial numbers of any military weapons issued be kept in record?

[xavierr]

Outdated counter-insurgency measures are applied in the south. the consequence is that it is hard for both sides. No average community would be able to function normally having troops in its midst. The military posted away from home are unhappy and nervous. The locals are all "potential troublemakers" in their eyes.

[geriatrickid]

If you are a red shirt you can do almost anything illegal and if your hurt the government will throuw masses of money to you

But if you are innocenet in the south, then you have no worth

Not hard to see double standards from the group that called double standards as their motto

Past experience indicates that your allegation is unfounded. Compensation will most likely be paid to these people in the event that the military acknowledges it was an error. Compensation has been paid in previous incidents and there is no reason why compensation would not be paid for this one if the circumstances are that it was an error.

The more serious issue is the conduct of the military. It is the military that has oversight of the Rangers and other paramilitaries. If you are that upset, you should be asking why there is no civilian oversight of the military. As the military high command likes to say, they do not answer the the civilian government. Take your indignation to Army commander General Prayuth Chanocha who asks that sympathy be shown for his subordinates.

[billd766]

Strange how both Ranger companies were moved out of the area very quickly though.

Almost as though nobody wanted them to be available for questioning.

[TeddyFlyfisherDavis]

Heard gun shots before the shooting...?

[JohnAllan]

Well, Yutthasak, true to the Thaksin party line, jumped in very quickly to insist the victims were definitely insurgents. A day later, he backtracks at a speed that would have done justice to a world champion sprinter.

Politicians, particularly those holding cabinet posts, are supposed to demonstrate some sort of intelligent appraisal of facts before jumping in with both feet tied to a concrete block. What is it about PT and its predecessors that has their MPs continually make such asses of themselves - particularly when faced with such a serious incident?

[phiphidon]

Well, Yutthasak, true to the Thaksin party line, jumped in very quickly to insist the victims were definitely insurgents. A day later, he backtracks at a speed that would have done justice to a world champion sprinter.

Politicians, particularly those holding cabinet posts, are supposed to demonstrate some sort of intelligent appraisal of facts before jumping in with both feet tied to a concrete block. What is it about PT and its predecessors that has their MPs continually make such asses of themselves - particularly when faced with such a serious incident?

Well it appears that the cabinet reshuffle of moving Yutthasak Sasiprapa to DPM from Defence Minister was a good move. He's obviously a bit too close to the Army to be of any use as a catalyst to regaining political control of Defence Personnel promotions.

[OzMick]

Strange how both Ranger companies were moved out of the area very quickly though.

Almost as though nobody wanted them to be available for questioning.

An interesting thought. WHY aren't they available for questioning ? It was publicizes where they were moved to.

When my twins had a spat, they were sent to separate rooms. Similar logic perhaps?

[OzMick]

If you are a red shirt you can do almost anything illegal and if your hurt the government will throuw masses of money to you

But if you are innocenet in the south, then you have no worth

Not hard to see double standards from the group that called double standards as their motto

Past experience indicates that your allegation is unfounded. Compensation will most likely be paid to these people in the event that the military acknowledges it was an error. Compensation has been paid in previous incidents and there is no reason why compensation would not be paid for this one if the circumstances are that it was an error.

The more serious issue is the conduct of the military. It is the military that has oversight of the Rangers and other paramilitaries. If you are that upset, you should be asking why there is no civilian oversight of the military. As the military high command likes to say, they do not answer the the civilian government. Take your indignation to Army commander General Prayuth Chanocha who asks that sympathy be shown for his subordinates.

In countries where the head of state doesn't double as the CIC this is not uncommon. Military allegiance is to the nation and the head of state, not some possibly corrupt politician who may or may not be in power after the next election, or forced to resign his post for his misdemeanors in the meantime.

Do you expect muslim villagers to be compensated to the tune of B7.5 million? PPD seems reluctant to answer.

[zzaa09]

If you are a red shirt you can do almost anything illegal and if your hurt the government will throuw masses of money to you

But if you are innocenet in the south, then you have no worth

Not hard to see double standards from the group that called double standards as their motto

Foxes guarding the hen house.

[geriatrickid]

If you are a red shirt you can do almost anything illegal and if your hurt the government will throuw masses of money to you

But if you are innocenet in the south, then you have no worth

Not hard to see double standards from the group that called double standards as their motto

Past experience indicates that your allegation is unfounded. Compensation will most likely be paid to these people in the event that the military acknowledges it was an error. Compensation has been paid in previous incidents and there is no reason why compensation would not be paid for this one if the circumstances are that it was an error.

The more serious issue is the conduct of the military. It is the military that has oversight of the Rangers and other paramilitaries. If you are that upset, you should be asking why there is no civilian oversight of the military. As the military high command likes to say, they do not answer the the civilian government. Take your indignation to Army commander General Prayuth Chanocha who asks that sympathy be shown for his subordinates.

In countries where the head of state doesn't double as the CIC this is not uncommon. Military allegiance is to the nation and the head of state, not some possibly corrupt politician who may or may not be in power after the next election, or forced to resign his post for his misdemeanors in the meantime.

Do you expect muslim villagers to be compensated to the tune of B7.5 million? PPD seems reluctant to answer.

Huh? The Governor General is HM The Queen's representative in Canada. He acts as Commander in Chief and Head of state on her behalf. No issue there with civilian oversight. Same for Australia, although the practice is that the Governor General is considered the defacto head of state, although the law still states that HM Queen Elizabeth is. Yet, in these two countries there is strict civilian oversight of the military. The Crown's role is important in each of these militaries instilling a sense of unity, tradition and duty, and various members of the Royal Family will have colonel in chief positions.

[rubl]

If you are a red shirt you can do almost anything illegal and if your hurt the government will throuw masses of money to you

But if you are innocenet in the south, then you have no worth

Not hard to see double standards from the group that called double standards as their motto

Past experience indicates that your allegation is unfounded. Compensation will most likely be paid to these people in the event that the military acknowledges it was an error. Compensation has been paid in previous incidents and there is no reason why compensation would not be paid for this one if the circumstances are that it was an error.

The more serious issue is the conduct of the military. It is the military that has oversight of the Rangers and other paramilitaries. If you are that upset, you should be asking why there is no civilian oversight of the military. As the military high command likes to say, they do not answer the the civilian government. Take your indignation to Army commander General Prayuth Chanocha who asks that sympathy be shown for his subordinates.

I really like the combination of "is unfounded" and "will most likely". Which reminds me, I still have a bridge for sale with accusations it's not mine clearly unfounded and will most likely be confirmed

[EyesWideOpen]

Well since 85 people were killed in the Tak Bai incident, and there were no punishments handed out at all, I suspect the same outcome in this incident. I have traveled that area by motorcycle including a visit to Yala....It is exactly like being in a war zone, so far removed from life in the rest of Thailand it may as well have been another planet. Killings like this just harden resolve of the local people. I think that Thailand should just give up the area, after all it was never theirs to begin with......... :-)

[jeanelie]

Muslims are never guilty.

[cdnvic]

Keep references to Royalty out of the discussion please.