Violence Feared In South As Tak Bai Anniversary Approaches

[webfact]

TAK BAI ANNIVERSARY

Violence feared in South as anniversary approaches

The Nation

Yutthasak

TAK BAI: -- Southern authorities have been instructed to be on full alert for possible violence as the eighth anniversary of the Tak Bai massacre in Narathiwat province, in which at least 85 people were killed, draws near, a deputy prime minister said Thursday.

Yuthasak Sasiprapa said security would be tightened to avoid undesirable incidents. The Tak Bai violence occurred on October 25, 2004 when hundreds of people were arrested as they protested against the arrest of six local men.

The arrested protesters were handcuffed and thrown into trucks heading for an army camp in nearby Pattani province. At least 85 of them were found to have suffocated on the vehicles.

Gen Yuthasak said that southern insurgents distort facts about the situation in the deep south through a website registered in neighbouring Malaysia.

Their purpose is to create misunderstanding among southern people, he said, adding the Foreign Ministry and National Intelligence Bureau are working closely to solve the problem.

The deputy premier said the National Security Council has almost concluded a revised structure for the Southern Resolution Operations Centre to be submitted to the prime minister for final approval.

Army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha said army units responsible for security are reorganising their personnel in the South in order to collaborate with the police, civilians and people in maintaining peace in the region. Police forces will be increased since military units cannot be stationed there indefinitely, he said.

-- The Nation 2012-10-18

[webfact]

Tak Bai violence still haunts southerners 8 years after

BANGKOK, Oct 18 - Southern authorities have been instructed to be on full alert for possible violence in light of the approaching eighth anniversary of the Tak Bai incident in Narathiwat province on 2004 in which at least 85 people were killed, according to a deputy prime minister.

Deputy Prime Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapa said Wednesday that security will be tightened to avoid undesirable incidents as happened in the past.

The Tak Bai violence occurred on Oct 25, 2004 when hundreds of people were arrested in their protest against the arrest of six local men. The arrested protesters were handcuffed and thrown into trucks heading for an army camp in nearby Pattani province. At least 85 of them were found to have suffocated on the vehicles’ arrival at the camp. The incident has been a thorn in the authorities' side since then.

Gen Yuthasak said that southern insurgents distort facts about the situation in Thailand's deep South through a website registered in neighbouring Malaysia.

Their purpose is to create misunderstanding among southern people, he said, adding that the Foreign Ministry and National Intelligence Bureau are working closely to solve the problem.

The deputy premier said the National Security Council has almost concluded a revised structure for the Southern Resolution Operations Centre to be submitted to the prime minister for final approval.

Army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha said army units responsible for security are reorganising their personnel in the South in order to collaborate with the police, civilians and people in maintaining peace in the region.

Police forces will be increased since military units cannot be stationed there indefinitely, he said.(MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-10-18

[asiawatcher]

Police in Thailand are far more lazy than army, and less qualified to handle any issue that does not involve payoffs. Army has some 300,000 plus 250,000 reservists who are well trained as opposed to Police at around 300,000 and high levels of corruption. The Tak Bai violence has never been resolved but the people who are enforcing the region should be army, who are able to deal in multiple weapons, explosives and have not been proven to be on the take. As Thailand is not involved in to many conflicts right now it may be ideal to being a lot more to the area to hunt out the people responsible for the continuing violence.

[Bagwan]

Who dresses this clown? Oxfam?

[maidu]

Krue Sae killings preceded Tak Bai by a few months. Thaksin was PM during both those incidents. After Krue Sae, Thaksin made sure that all military and police knew He was in charge. At a meeting with top brass, he held up a mobile phone and emphasized to all the top brass that he was only a phone call away. Tak Bai was as much T's imbroglio as the Top brass directly on the scene who made poor decisions which cost unnecessary loss of life and suffering. There were reports of soldiers jumping on the tops of the heap of bodies, while men at the bottoms of the piles were having the life sucked out of them. Even if T didn't have any responsibility, he should have ordered disciplinary action. He didn't. If residents of the the south are still angry and vengeful, who can blame them?

[Thai at Heart]

Krue Sae killings preceded Tak Bai by a few months. Thaksin was PM during both those incidents. After Krue Sae, Thaksin made sure that all military and police knew He was in charge. At a meeting with top brass, he held up a mobile phone and emphasized to all the top brass that he was only a phone call away. Tak Bai was as much T's imbroglio as the Top brass directly on the scene who made poor decisions which cost unnecessary loss of life and suffering. There were reports of soldiers jumping on the tops of the heap of bodies, while men at the bottoms of the piles were having the life sucked out of them. Even if T didn't have any responsibility, he should have ordered disciplinary action. He didn't. If residents of the the south are still angry and vengeful, who can blame them?

Yeah yeah, a Thai politician disciplines the army? Any precedent for this ever? He is but a jockey.

[tragickingdom]

BIzarre enough Thaksin is always blamed for the incident, while the 2006 coup-maker and than army chief Sonthi was with his boots on the ground as head of the Southern operation. Thai military seem to have a pretty crooked memory. Maybe that is why they are so incredibly incompetent when it comes to the South.

[webfact]

Security tightened ahead of 5th Tak Bai incident anniversary

NARATHIWAT, Oct 19 -- Joint forces of military, police and security units have reinforced bunkers at the keeper's boxes in Narathiwat's Tak Bai district in preparation for any untoward incident that may happen on the 5th anniversary of incident there.

Soldiers from special units, Tak Bai provincial police and volunteers are together replacing sandbags with new ones at the protective bunkers for guards at Tak Bai district, particularly at the Yungthong guard box, a joint checkpoint for security forces.

Barbed wire was placed around the guard station in preparation for any possible insurgent attack to mark the 5th anniversary of the Tak Bai incident.

Military, police, administrative staff, Muslim religious leaders and community leaders are talking with villagers to clarify the government's attempt to solve the violence and the measures to compensate and remedy the families who were affected by the incident.

The residents were urged not to listen to groups of people from outside the area who try to incite violence.

The Tak Bai violence occurred on Oct 25, 2004 when hundreds of people were arrested in their protest against the arrest of six local men. The arrested protesters were handcuffed and thrown into trucks heading for an army camp in nearby Pattani province. At least 85 of them were found to have suffocated on the vehicles’ arrival at the camp. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-10-19

[brianP]

I feel bad for all the innocent people from those areas who want a normal peaceful life again.

[bendejo]

I recall Thaksin on television explaining that the soldiers were not shooting at the people, they were firing into the air. Those bullets then came down and hit people, he explained.

When someone dishes out a bs explanation like this you know they are guilty.

A short while later there was an Asean summit, and he warned before hand "If Tak Bai is mentioned I'm walking out."

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

[taninthai]

One of the reports says 5 year anniversary the other says 8 can they report anything correct here.

[Credo]

There is an anniversary every year.

[KhaoNiaw]

I recall Thaksin on television explaining that the soldiers were not shooting at the people, they were firing into the air. Those bullets then came down and hit people, he explained.

He also claimed deaths were because the protesters were weak from fasting for Ramadan.

[simple1]

BIzarre enough Thaksin is always blamed for the incident, while the 2006 coup-maker and than army chief Sonthi was with his boots on the ground as head of the Southern operation. Thai military seem to have a pretty crooked memory. Maybe that is why they are so incredibly incompetent when it comes to the South.

Sonthi is a Thai Muslim and even he was unable to put in place policies/tactics for the resolution for the conflict in the Deep South.

[Chads]

I recall Thaksin on television explaining that the soldiers were not shooting at the people, they were firing into the air. Those bullets then came down and hit people, he explained.

What wisdom! We might have to rewrite every physics textbook in the world now!

[bendejo]

I recall Thaksin on television explaining that the soldiers were not shooting at the people, they were firing into the air. Those bullets then came down and hit people, he explained.

What wisdom! We might have to rewrite every physics textbook in the world now!

Actually, as I was typing that, I figured some dough-brain would argue that it makes sense. If it were so, there would be a lot less Palestinians alive.