Thailand To Sack Army Commander

Thailand to sack army commander over southern violence: report

BANGKOK - Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra plans to remove the army commander in charge of the Muslim-dominated south for failing to end weeks of violence that have left up to 50 people dead, a report said on Saturday.

The Bangkok Post quoted security sources as saying the Fourth Army commander Lieutenant-General Pongsak Ekbannasingh, who has administered martial law in the three worst-hit provinces, would be reassigned.

“The prime minister is unhappy seeing him unable to deal with daily killings there,” the source told the English-language daily. ”He is likely to be shifted elsewhere in the mid-year reshuffle.”

The violence broke out on January 4 with a deadly and well-coordinated raid on an army weapons depot, and continued with almost daily attacks on security forces, government officials and Buddhist monks who have been brutally slashed.

But former fourth Army commander Senator Harn Leenanond told the Post that it would be “a mistake” to remove Pongsak who is a native of the south and has served in the region for three decades.

“Chaos in the southernmost region partly resulted from security mismanagement and the premier could not deny his responsibility,” he said.

Thaksin and his government have been criticised for their handling of the crisis in the south, which many analysts and officials say is being carried out by separatist groups in league with criminal gangs.

In his weekly radio address, the premier did not mention Pongsak’s future but said more action had to be taken to resolve the violence, which shows no sign of abating.

“I have to do more than now, although I have never sat still. I have asked executives to do their utmost and they must continue until peace is restored,” he said.

Thaksin denounced the perpetrators of the attacks, which he said continued unabated on Friday, an important Buddhist holiday, with more violence and arson.

He called on Muslim religious leaders in the five southern provinces bordering Malaysia, which are home to most of Thailand’s Mulims, to help authorities by passing on any information about those responsible.

“All religious leaders must be united and help to bring about peace,” he said.

--Agencies 2004-03-06