Peace talks 'behind surge in violence'
The Nation


BANGKOK: -- National Security Council secretary-general Lt-General Paradorn Pattanathabutr admitted yesterday the recent flare-up of violence in the deep South broke out because some insurgent groups disagreed with the ongoing peace dialogue.

Earlier, Paradorn had played down the violent incidents, which apparently surged after he started holding peace talks with the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), saying the violence was "normal" and had nothing to do with the dialogue.

However, yesterday he admitted that the increase of violent incidents in the region was related to the ongoing peace dialogue.

"The violence was definitely related to the dialogue. But the violent incidents were committed by main insurgency and small insurgency groups. There were also incidents in which insurgents took advantage of the situation," Paradorn said.

He said certain groups might try to derail the peace talks by stepping up attacks, but the government would continue to try to resolve the violence through peaceful measures and dialogue.

Paradorn said the BRN leaders, who are his dialogue partners, admitted that they could not control some groups, especially new ones whose members believed they could win the war against the Thai government.

He said he would demand more details from BRN leaders during the next round of talks on June 13. He said the government would not impose emergency rule in areas where the restrictions had been lifted and replaced by the enforcement of the Internal Security Act.

In the latest violence, two rangers and a civilian were killed in two incidents yesterday.

In Pattani, a unit of six rangers was ambushed by insurgents on the Pattani-Yala Road in Lutong village in Tambon Maelan in Maelan district at 4.30am.

The rangers exchanged gunfire with the insurgents and Sergeant Ronwit Singsai, 31, and Kringsak Thupputsa, 3, were killed.

At 6.50am in Narathiwat, the Rusoh district Police Station was alerted that a Muslim man had been shot dead in a rubber plantation. He was identified as Asman Sama, 61.


-- The Nation 2013-05-29

The NSC Secy. General says violence in the south is "normal " and nothing to do with peace talks.but since when is violence on the scale seen normal. Little wonder nothing much gets done to resolve this long running problem if such off hand attitudes are held by senior government figures.

We all know what he was trying to say but as usual Thai officials can't open their mouths without getting it all wrong.

The NSC Secy. General says violence in the south is "normal " and nothing to do with peace talks.but since when is violence on the scale seen normal. Little wonder nothing much gets done to resolve this long running problem if such off hand attitudes are held by senior government figures.

We all know what he was trying to say but as usual Thai officials can't open their mouths without getting it all wrong.

Maybe something got lost in translation? Not unusual I would think.

This increase in violence was to be expected and anyone capable of rational thought would have predicted this except for the mentaly impaired idiots in this country.

When you have a situation of several different groups of terrorists , should one group decied to negotiate then the others will simply step up the vilonce as a means of highlighting discent. This was the obvious and most predictable actions from the onset. No suprise except to the blind ,deaf and incredibly dumb..

Should brains be dynamite then this country could not blow it's nose.