February 12, 2005

PM demands agency cooperation in South

 Says bombings reveal fragmented operations

 POST REPORTERS

 Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is pushing for closer cooperation of

agencies working under the Southern Border Provinces Peace-building Command

(SBPPC) to curb violence in the deep South, the region the opposition

Democrat party will visit on a fact-finding mission next month.

 Mr Thaksin said yesterday several bombings in the deep South on Thursday

reflected the fragmented work of the SBPPC which, according to him, put too

much emphasis on military missions and too little on cooperation with others

units.

 His demand will be delivered in talks on Monday at Government House ahead

of his visit to the three southernmost provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and

Yala starting on Wednesday to meet locals and authorities on the ground.

 The prime minister also promised to take heed of suggestions from all

opposition MPs and to send teams to gather opinions from local people in a

bid to adjust policies for the deep South.

 Fresh from unseating the Thai Rak Thai party in the southernmost provinces,

the Democrats, led by acting leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, will make a move next

month to visit the areas to prepare suggestions for how the next government

should tackle security problems.

 Mr Abhisit said after the party's meeting with Democrat MPs-elect for the

three provinces that Democrat executives would thank southern voters for

their support and gather opinions to forward them to the new government.

 Thai Rak Thai has no seats in the deep South where people voted en masse

for the Democrat and Chart Thai parties.

 Mr Abhisit insisted the party was ready to cooperate with the government in

solving the problems there and called on the prime minister to heed the

election results which illustrated southerners' discontent with government

policies.

 ``Since Thai Rak Thai has no MPs in the region, the prime minister should

have an open mind and Democrat MPs will do their duty by representing the

people in bringing peace to the area regardless of party banners because the

problems are at the national level,'' he said.

 The Democrats will also present the prime minister with the Pattani

Declaration and other proposals from the people,'' he said.

 The declaration, announced by the party on Dec 25, suggests the scrapping

of the CEO governor system, the re-establishment of the Southern Border

Provinces Administrative Centre, the improvement of the quality of education

and localities' capabilities, and the appointment of judicial datohs and

forming Sharia courts for handling family and inheritance cases under

Islamic law.

 In continued violence, a tricycle driver was shot dead and a police officer

seriously wounded in separate gun attacks in Narathiwat and Pattani

yesterday.

 Sathian Thipmanee was attacked at Ban Takae village in Pattani's Yaring

district yesterday evening while driving a tricycle to a market. The victim

was hit twice in the head and died on the spot.

 In another attack, Pol Snr Sgt-Maj Ussamarn Samarnmeun was badly wounded in

a gun attack in Sungai Padi district of Narathiwat by two men on a

motorcycle wearing dawa clothing.

 The officer was attacked on Sako-Sungai Padi road while driving his

motorcycle to a local mosque to attend afternoon prayers. The motorcycle

pillion rider fired three shots at the officer.

 Meanwhile, unidentified men raided two houses in Narathiwat's Bacho

district and stole a shotgun.

 Archi Lorheng, assistant village head of Talor Balor village, alerted

police that a group of armed men raided his house at about 8pm on Thursday.

They searched the house but found no weapons.

 In the second raid, about 10 armed men raided the house of Malayeng

Torlording in Bacho district and made off with a shotgun.