Article 56

Military, Islamic schools urged to reach compromise over searches
WASSANA NANUAM

Deputy Prime Minister Wan Muhamad Nor Matha has asked the Fourth Army and operators of Muslim religious schools to work out a compromise on military searches of such schools.

Mr Wan Nor, a Muslim, said yesterday that he would like both sides to reach an understanding for the sake of national interests.

``The Fourth Army commander told me soldiers had carried out school searches in a gentle manner, not harshly,'' Mr Wan Nor said.

``Military personnel are needed to carry out such searches but they have never acted in a barbaric manner or beyond the scope of authority. They have been careful,'' he said.

He was referring to last Sunday's military searches of Ponoh Islam Prachasongkroh School and Ponoh Islam Duwa School in Pattani province. The schools belong to Abdul-rohni Kahama, secretary to the Association of Private Islamic Schools in Five Southern Border Provinces, and to Mr Abdul-rohni's brother respectively.

Mr Wan Nor said he understood why executives of Islamic schools were upset with the searches. The school owners were not notified in advance, and the reputation of their schools became tarnished even though the searches turned up nothing illegal.

However, Mr Wan Nor pointed out that such searches would be virtually meaningless if targeted schools were notified in advance.

Waedueramae Mamingji, chairman of the Islamic Committee of Pattani, called on the military and Islamic school executives to meet half way and jointly work out measures to prevent further hard feelings.

He said he had proposed in vain that soldiers bring Muslim leaders along when they are assigned to search an Islamic school. His Triamsuksa Withaya School in Pattani was subject to a military search once. The school's reputation was tarnished although nothing illegal was found.

Meanwhile, Fourth Army commander Lt-Gen Pisarn Wattanawongkeeree denied he ordered the school searches last Sunday. His deputy, Maj-Gen Kwanchart Klaharn, was in charge at the time.

Islamic school executives had threatened to stage a mass protest over the school searches last Sunday.

``I don't want to give too much importance to the movement (of Islamic school executives). I believe it has an ulterior motive,'' said Lt-Gen Pisarn yesterday.

``I don't mind the pressure being put on me. I have done my best,'' he said.

The soldiers conducting the seaches had taken their boots off and talked to people at the schools in a normal manner, said the Fourth Army chief. All those questioned by the soldiers were released after the interrogation was over.