Thai South crisis: NSC denies BRN demands accepted

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SOUTH CRISIS
NSC denies BRN demands accepted
ANAPAT DEECHUAY,
PARES LOHASAN,
NAKARIN CHINWORAKOMON
THE NATION



Three rangers shot dead while they repaired villagers' roofs in Pattani

BANGKOK: -- National Security Council (NSC) secretary general Paradorn Pattanatabutr yesterday insisted that the Thai government had not yet accepted any demands by the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN).

The claim contradicted a previous report on social media by BRN executive Hassan Taib that Thailand had accepted four out of five of the separatist group's demands.

The NSC will ask the Cabinet on Tuesday to extend the imposition of the Internal Security Act (ISA) in the deep South for 90 days from September 20 to December 19.

The council would assess the situation in Pattani's Mai Kaen district, Yala's Betong and Kabang districts, and Narathiwat's Waeng and Sukhirin districts for a possible lifting of the ISA there. Kabang would most likely be the first, he said.

Paradorn said Thai authorities were considering the five demands so that the peace dialogue with the BRN would continue. The next round of talks was slated for the third week of October, but the government hadn't yet accepted any of the demands.

Although some points could be further discussed, others, such as the demand for the Thai government to recognise the rights of the "Melayu Patani nation" needed to be carefully analysed, he said.

The Thai side should be able to draw conclusions about the five demands before the next talks, he added.

The five demands are: that the Thai government acknowledge the rights of the "Melayu Patani nation"; that detained suspects be released; that ASEAN members, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and international NGOs observe the peace dialogues; that Malaysia act as a mediator, not just a facilitator for the dialogue; and that the BRN be recognised not as a "separatist" but as a "liberation" movement.

Paradorn's comment was made at Government House after yesterday's meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Pol General Pracha Promnog and related agencies about a situation update, as well as the budget on development and national security works in the deep South.

More attacks

The unrest continued yesterday with three Rangers killed and one wounded in a shooting in Pattani's Yarang district.

The shooting took place at 11.40am while the six-strong Ranger team was engaged in social-relations work, fixing roofs for villagers in Ban Binya Moo 2 in Tambon Khlong Mai. A group of seven or eight gunmen on a Toyota Vigo pickup truck pulled over near where the Rangers were working and opened fire, leading to a brief gunfight before the gunmen fled with the victims' two guns.

National police chief Pol General Adul Saengsingkaew said police were gathering evidence to arrest assailants who had shot dead five policemen on Wednesday while they were gathering information about oil smuggling in Pattani's Thung Yang Daeng district. He said spent bullets at the scene were found to be linked with many violent cases in the area. Adul went to Yala's Muang district yesterday to preside over an opening ceremony of a "317 brave police" monument honouring slain police officers in the deep South.

-- The Nation 2013-09-13