Southern security chief meets Islamic organisations

By THE SUNDAY NATION

 

 

THE SOUTHERN Army chief met yesterday with representatives of eight Islamic organisations to discuss how to prevent Muslim insurgents from using religious places to carry out attacks.

 

Fourth Army Area Commander Lt-General Piyawat Nakwanit, who is the director of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) Area 4, held the meeting at Isoc’s Forward Command base. A further meeting has also been scheduled for next Tuesday.

 

Representatives of the Pattani Islamic Committee, Nararthiwat Islamic Committee, Yala Islamic Committee, Songkha Islamic Committee, the Ulama Council Of Fatoni Darussalam, the Pohnoh Institutions in Five Southern Border Provinces Association, Federation of Islamic Religious Schools in Southern Border Provinces and the Muslim Brotherhood Club attended the meeting.

 

Piyawat said he had informed the organisations of the southern Army’s operation plans during the fasting month when Muslim insurgents tend to step up attacks.

 

He said he had also sought cooperation from the organisations to monitor Islamic teachers and to prevent the use of religious places for attacks – after insurgents used a mosque to steal a pickup that was used for a car-bomb attack at the Big C shopping mall in Pattani.

 

He admitted that the meeting did not reach any conclusion and had asked the religious leaders to come up with ideas and solutions to prevent insurgents from using religious places as a base, as well as the problem of some religious leaders backing the insurgency.

 

“The Internal Security Operations Command’s Area 4 understands the severity of this issue, so we value the participation of all stakeholders especially the religious institutions. The religious leaders also play a vital role in advising and helping solve the problem,” he said.

 

Piyawat revealed it has been found that some religious leaders supported the insurgency during the past 13 years, so he had asked them to help the authorities in suggesting proper operational procedures for law enforcement and keeping peace and order.

 

Meanwhile, security has been tightened across the Far South, as the officers have brought suspects for the car-bomb attack to Big C Department Store in Pattani to re-enact at the crime.

 

Security officers have ordered all areas to increase surveillance and set up checkpoints in every district, especially highway links between the provinces.

 

While in Pattani, the officers set up the security checkpoints at all four access routes to the city and officers have also increased patrols on motorcycles and cars to prevent insurgent attacks.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30315820

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-05-21

17 hours ago, rooster59 said:

the meeting did not reach any conclusion and had asked the religious leaders to come up with ideas and solutions to prevent insurgents from using religious places as a base, as well as the problem of some religious leaders backing the insurgency.

Then please explain this:

Army urged to release teacher and brother

A HUMAN rights network has urged the authorities to release a Tadika (Islamic kindergarten) teacher and his brother who were taken into military custody without charge in Songkhla on Wednesday evening.

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/984125-army-urged-to-release-teacher-and-brother/?utm_source=newsletter-20170521-0932&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

The Army is insincere at best and untrustworthy at worse.