December 7, 2004

Security alert amid warnings of terror strikes

The Southern Border Provinces Peace-building Command (SBPPC) has warned security forces in the deep South to be on the alert for a possible escalation of violence over the coming weeks.

SBPPC commander Gen Sirichai Tunyasiri said security forces were not underestimating the extent of southern unrest and were taking no chances.

There have been warnings from US and Israeli intelligence of possible attacks, including suicide bombings in the South this month.

Gen Sirichai said the command had received no such warnings. If there were intelligence reports from outside the country, they would have been directed to the Supreme Command.

Even if there were such reports, the identity of the sources would be kept secret as a matter of etiquette, he said. The intelligence would also need to be screened. His agency was familiar with hoaxes and unfounded reports of impending sabotage plots.

Gen Sirichai assured the authorities were on their guard. They would first assess if the groups issuing the threats had the ability to carry them out.

The command has been able to identify some core insurgents but it cannot make arrests with just flimsy evidence, he said, otherwise there might be a legal backlash with defamation suits.

Gen Sirichai said he had repeatedly asked the media to be selective with its news reporting. Anti-government groups often gave false information about their movements and planned attacks and newspapers played into their hands by covering their front pages with the news.

The militants were trying to achieve a ``psychological upper hand'' by making the government's defence capabilities appear weak, he said. The media must be careful not to overplay such news otherwise they could unwittingly help militants spread their propaganda.

He insisted, however, that press freedom should not be restricted. He did not wish to impose regulations on news reporting of security issues and would prefer cooperation instead.