Blames TRT loss on local `misconceptions'
POST REPORTERS
A Muslim woman and her children walk past a sign reading: "Let all Thais have love for one another. Why should we be divided?" The sign was on the Pattani-Narathiwat road in Pattani's Sai Buri district. — JETJARAS NA RANONG
Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday appeared unwavered by his Thai Rak Thai party's crushing poll defeat in the deep South, insisting there will be no change in the way he deals with the restive border provinces.
The Thai Rak Thai leader also vowed his party would sweep all 11 House seats available in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat provinces in the next national polls.
He dismissed remarks that his party lost in the three Muslim-dominated provinces in Sunday's general election because his government had been unable to resolve the southern unrest.
People there voted ``no'' for Thai Rak Thai because of misconceptions about the government, their ``especially close'' ties with the Democrat party and the ``special'' campaign tactics employed by the Democrats, Mr Thaksin said without elaborating further.
The government would press ahead with plans to restore peace to the deep South. Policy implementation would not be disrupted just because Thai Rak Thai had no MPs in that region, he said.
``We will adjust nothing. Now the people there do not believe us, but they will one day because what we have done is right. They may still believe in propaganda but we understand them,'' he said.
``More than half the country trust and believe in us, but not the South. However, we will continue doing our best and, one day, southerners will learn that we always mean well and do good things for them.'' The government had already made the right moves towards ending the southern unrest, he said, and a change of strategy now could lead to a surge in separatist violence.
But Mr Thaksin admitted his government had lost patience and consequently matched violence with violence in two incidents that left nearly 200 people killed. He was referring to the April 28 clashes last year between security forces and suspected militants in Yala and Pattani and the Oct 26 Tak Bai riots in Narathiwat.
``We were challenged by evil but we did not have enough patience, so the evil became a hero. Separatists brainwashed teenagers to use violence against us and we lost our patience and reacted with violence,'' he said.
Mr Thaksin said authorities had learned from past mistakes and from now on would exercise patience even when provoked.
``If there is a protest and protesters besiege a government office for seven days, let them. I have ordered officials there not to arrest them. What happened in the past was a case of resolute measures gone wrong,'' he said.
Distrust of state officials, failure to respond to local needs quickly and effectively, and the local Thai Rak Thai MPs doing too little, too late, for the people there were other reasons for his party's election defeat in the far South, he said.
Mr Thaksin played down concerns that his plan to form a new 15th Infantry Division in the deep South would further sour public sentiment there, insisting it was necessary to have sufficient forces to safeguard Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat.
``The soldiers are there to protect innocent lives and, at the same time, make separatists know they will never let them take away that region from our country,'' he said.
Mr Thaksin declined to comment on reports that southern voters poured their support on Democrat candidates out of fear after some ``dark powers'' had ordered them not to vote Thai Rak Thai.
He was fully confident he could solve southern problems. ``I can say that in the next general election Thai Rak Thai will win all seats in those three provinces. Peace will return and people will live well and eat well,'' he said.
Senator Sophon Suphapong said yesterday whether the southern unrest would end depended on Mr Thaksin's ability to see the 1.6 million people in the three provinces as ``friends'' and not ``foes''.
If Mr Thaksin showed hostility towards those people, it could be seen as ``a licence to kill'' by his subordinates. A permanent presence of huge military forces there could worsen the unrest, he warned.
Muslim scholar Chaiwat Satha-anant said the high voter turnout of at least 70% in the three southernmost provinces showed the locals were loyal to their country and that meant Mr Thaksin should be happy with the election outcome there even though his party was defeated.