More Bombs Amid N S C Uncertainty: Thai South Crisis

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SOUTH CRISIS
More bombs amid NSC uncertainty
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- While the top post in the National Security Council (NSC) remains uncertain ahead of the June 13 peace dialogue with insurgents in Kuala Lumpur, violence in the deep South continued yesterday with three bombs in Pattani and Narathiwat.

Eight people were injured, while a law-enforcement raid on a Narathiwat rubber plantation seized many bomb components.

Despite the Central Administrative Court's order for reinstatement of Thawil Pliensri to the NSC, council chief Paradorn Pattanatabutr said yesterday there had been no order to change the position. He remains leader of the Thai representatives in talks with Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) on June 13.

The team is adjusting strategy, he said, and it will report to Deputy PM Chalerm Yoobamrung next week. Saying there was concern BRN would launch an operation ahead of the talks, Paradorn said it would not be a violation of the dialogue's rules if BRN posted another clip on YouTube.

Meanwhile, PM Yingluck Shinawatra said she had not decided whether to appeal against the court's ruling on the Thawil case. She was awaiting study of the court ruling by PM's secretary Suranand Vejjajiva and PM's Office permanent secretary Thongthong Jantharangsu as well as consultation with a legal team.

Chalerm said he had authorised deputy Army chief General Dapong Rattanasuwan to work on the region's problems and integrate the work of six agencies there. He would send a team led by Deputy Interior Minister Pracha Prasopdee to visit the region today to gather complaints and he himself would visit there after June 15.

Meanwhile, violence continues. In Pattani's Yaring district, a five-strong paramilitary team was hit by a bomb while patrolling a road on foot at 7.30am. Also in Pattani, Yarang district chief Somneuk Phromkhiew's convoy, returning from a ceremony presenting houses to the poor, narrowly escaped a roadside bomb. In Narathiwat's Sukhirin district, a bomb exploded in front of a grocery shop causing three civilian injuries.

Officials were also busy making arrests. In Narathiwat's Rusoh district, the 50-strong combined security unit raided a rubber plantation behind a boarding school in Ban Pu Poh, but the insurgents had fled. Officials found 50 items including bomb components, medical supplies, and a list of alleged insurgents and sympathisers. Thirty soldiers searched a nearby wooded area for the insurgents, suspected of launching a March 29 bomb attack that killed Captain Siwat Sripujyo.

Another official team yesterday nabbed Mahamu Mahataeha, 38, a suspect in the April 5 bombing that killed Yala deputy governor Issara Thongthawat. Mahamu, who was detained in Rusoh district, was implicated by a previously captured suspect, Abdullah Pula, but he denied wrongdoing. He was taken for interrogation to the 41st Ranger Regiment.

Bangkok's Ratchadaphisek Criminal Court yesterday acquitted Anupong Panthachayangkoon, former kamnan of tambon Toh Deng in Narathiwat's Sungai Padi district, of a false charge brought by Pol General Panupong Singhara.

Anupong, who had been acquitted of the robbery and murder of Pol Sgt-Major Panya Darahim in 2004, claimed Panupong and other investigators had beaten him into confessing to the crime.

Panupong and 18 others were later let off the hook. Anupong said he was happy he was cleared and would not pursue the case.

-- The Nation 2013-06-05

[Thai at Heart]

Is the nation short of space. Is this four stories in one?

[NongKhaiKid]

So the PM hasn't decided if an appeal against the court's ruling will be made, I wonder if the government will decide just to simply ignore it ?

Anyway the NSC's role seems to be irrelevant, didn't the minister in charge of internal security say he has " never ' trusted the intelligence they supply ? Presumably that would change with a loyal PTP crony in charge, they might not get truthful reports but definitely the ones they wanted to hear.

[A Member]

IN Channel reported this morning that Chalerm was quite vocal about this to the media yesterday or as the station put it in his " forthright " manner.

He stated it's the government's right to appear the court's decision which no one disagrees with but his reasoning was that unfair transfers had taken place when the Democrats were in power, so just how childish is that ?

In the absence of sound operational and legal reasons he would base an appeal on the argument " well, the democrats did it too " and that My Lord is the case for the Government of Thailand.