Deep South Attacks Won't Cease: Thai Army Commander Prayuth

[webfact]

Deep South attacks won't cease: Prayuth
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Army Commander-in-Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha said yesterday he had no doubt that violent attacks by insurgents would continue in the deep South, despite the agreement on peace talks with an insurgent group.

Prayuth was reacting to a motorcycle bomb attack in Yala that killed two military rangers and wounded many others on Saturday.

Prayuth said the attacks were certain to continue in the southern border provinces because many new insurgent groups had been formed - groups that would not take orders from the group that signed a peace-talks deal with Thailand on Saturday.

In a landmark agreement brokered by Malaysia, the Thai government and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) rebel group agreed to start talks aimed at ending the conflict.

But Prayuth said the new insurgents groups had broken away from the BRN, which signed the contract, and the BRN was apparently seeking a political role. "They have been abandoned for a long time," Prayuth added.

Prayuth said Army intelligence agencies had learned several new rebel groups had been formed. Although the groups shared the same ideology, they wanted to have power and would not listen to the BRN, which was an old group, Prayuth said. "The fighting will definitely not cease," Prayuth said.

However, he said it was a good sign that the Thai and Malaysian governments had signed an extradition deal.

He said police and troops would have to continue stepping up security measures in the deep South. He also begged for moral support from the public for security officials there.

The Army chief still supported the holding of peace talks with insurgent groups because they were also Thais. "So far, no foreigners have ever been arrested. Only Thais have been arrested," Prayuth said.


-- The Nation 2013-03-04

[webfact]

Insurgency alert continues in Thailand’s far South
By English News

BANGKOK, March 4 – Thailand's army chief has instructed the authorities in the country's far South to be especially watchful for potential violence despite a preliminary peace arrangement between the Thai authorities and a leading insurgent group last week.

Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha said insurgency activities by various militant factions in southern Thailand have not ceased despite the agreement signed in Kuala Lumpur between the Thai National Security Council and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) militant group last Thursday.

Several militant groups are operating in Thailand’s far South and the authorities should be more careful and ready for any possible attack, he said.

He described last Thursday’s agreement as an attempt to resolve the southern unrest and improve the situation.

“However, it doesn’t assure that the problem will be totally solved. The military will continue doing their job and will not withdraw from the southern region,” he said. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-03-04

[chainarong]

Welcome to the real world General, its quiet obvious you have been reading these pages, you are now ready to take the next step, invest in high tech surveillance equip, uncle Sam and the Royal fusiliers will gladly give advice how to achieve this, agencies such as the AFP, ASIS, FBI, Mi5, will also give you a hand , they're established here in Thailand, over at ol Swampy.. Best of Luck General.

[cambtek]

The mess would have been easier to solve if dialogue had been entered into years ago .How long ago was it that the army murdered all those alleged insurgents by cramming them into trucks?

[chainarong]

The mess would have been easier to solve if dialogue had been entered into years ago .How long ago was it that the army murdered all those alleged insurgents by cramming them into trucks?

Thailand has only got it's self to blame cambtec, it's been slowly happening over thirty years , they sat on their hands till now and yes that incidence did not improve their love for Thai's,I wounder who's watch that was on, it really has got bad since the Bali bombings , their skills level has improved greatly in bomb making.

[lemonjelly]

Welcome to the real world General, its quiet obvious you have been reading these pages, you are now ready to take the next step, invest in high tech surveillance equip, uncle Sam and the Royal fusiliers will gladly give advice how to achieve this, agencies such as the AFP, ASIS, FBI, Mi5, will also give you a hand , they're established here in Thailand, over at ol Swampy.. Best of Luck General.

i'm sure he has better sources of info and doesn't need a grumpy old expats forum.

[tragickingdom]

Of course they won't cease. Not only is it utmost ignorance to think that the problem goes away after a few conversations with Muslim terrorists who have shown that they do not even value the life of women and little children, the army is not interested in a cessation of the attacks either. Imagine, Prayuth can spend at will right now, he can fuel up his far too big Benz numerous time with the money that comes out of secret accounts. He could buy an new old Zeppelin from a German World War I museum, attach camera's to it and call it a gem. Prayuth's officers would no longer be able to spend tens of thousand of pounds on bomb scanners from which any boy scout know that it is a fake and thus they would not be able to pocket the kickbacks anymore. China would no longer be able to deliver faulty grenades and the list go on. War is big business and the only suckers that die are conscripts from Izan or the North. Who cares?

[oldsailor35]

I still cannot understand why the government will not impose a nightly curfew.

[squarethecircle]

I still cannot understand why the government will not impose a nightly curfew.

I can think of three reasons: a nightly curfew would have negative economic repercussions, while most of the attacks take place at day-time and probably wouldn't be effected by such a curfew; such a curfew would breed resentment between law enforcement/military and local populace, etc.

Of course they won't cease. Not only is it utmost ignorance to think that the problem goes away after a few conversations with Muslim terrorists who have shown that they do not even value the life of women and little children, the army is not interested in a cessation of the attacks either. Imagine, Prayuth can spend at will right now, he can fuel up his far too big Benz numerous time with the money that comes out of secret accounts. He could buy an new old Zeppelin from a German World War I museum, attach camera's to it and call it a gem. Prayuth's officers would no longer be able to spend tens of thousand of pounds on bomb scanners from which any boy scout know that it is a fake and thus they would not be able to pocket the kickbacks anymore. China would no longer be able to deliver faulty grenades and the list go on. War is big business and the only suckers that die are conscripts from Izan or the North. Who cares?

They make US and related European anti-insurgency operations look competent by comparison.

[Mosha]

I still cannot understand why the government will not impose a nightly curfew.

Ask the rubber farmers down there.

[rfukata]

Welcome to the real world General, its quiet obvious you have been reading these pages, you are now ready to take the next step, invest in high tech surveillance equip, uncle Sam and the Royal fusiliers will gladly give advice how to achieve this, agencies such as the AFP, ASIS, FBI, Mi5, will also give you a hand , they're established here in Thailand, over at ol Swampy.. Best of Luck General.

i'm sure he has better sources of info and doesn't need a grumpy old expats forum.

If the general had better sources, I would think this issue would have been solved long ago

[Gary A]

The mess would have been easier to solve if dialogue had been entered into years ago .How long ago was it that the army murdered all those alleged insurgents by cramming them into trucks?

Do you honestly believe that you could negotiate with lunatic terrorists? Killing innocent infidels is their mission directed by their god.

[Mackie]

Anyone thinking that is possible to negotiate and reason with brainwashed religious fanatics is deluded. Almost like, my way or no way. Let's negotiate. Have a look around the world. It just does not work that way with islamic insurgents. You've got to eradicate them once and for all. Otherwise they will keep spreading like cancer. Moderate Muslims-if there are moderate Muslims should cooperate with Thai authorities more. They are the key factor in solving the deep south mess. Time to show some loyalty,eh.