Critics: 'Rebel leaders' in footage unknown
ANUCHA CHAROENPO
Chettha: Credibility in jeopardy over video |
Academics and peace advocates yesterday expressed serious doubts over the ceasefire announcement made by a group of men claiming to be southern insurgent leaders.
They demanded Chettha Thanajaro, leader of the Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana party _ a coalition government partner, accept responsibility if the announcement proved to be a hoax.
Gen Chettha, a former army chief, broke the news about the truce on the army-run Channel 5 television yesterday.
Chidchanok Rahimmula, deputy dean of Pattani-based Prince of Songkla University's political science faculty, who has closely monitored the southern violence, said she still had doubts about the ceasefire announcement.
She said the three men seen announcing the ceasefire in the television footage did not reveal their identities beyond saying they led a separatist network called the ''Thailand United Southern Underground''.
They said the ceasefire has gone into effect since July 14 but did not name anyone from the government they had met who knew about the deal.
Ms Chidchanok said the question was how Gen Chettha came to be involved in the agreement when he is now just a politician and not even a defence minister. It was likely he had never joined any negotiation with any such group, she said.
''Who are these three men? How could they influence a new generation of young Muslim insurgents in the deep South to stop carrying out future attacks?
''As far as I know there are several separatist groups active in the deep South and each of them is highly independent.''
Panitan Wattanayagorn, a security expert at Chulalongkorn University, said he wanted the government to investigate the ceasefire claim as it could cause public confusion.
Somboon Ahmad Bualuang, a former member of the defunct National Reconciliation Commission, said there was no mention of any conditions on which the supposed ceasefire was agreed.
'' It's too easy. They have fought against the government for over 100 years but finally they get nothing in return. It's impossible.''
He also said people should raise questions about the announcement. It could be just a ploy to divert public attention from the Preah Vihear controversy, he added.
Pradit Rattanakomol, chairman of Ayutthaya's Islamic Committee, said he could not say how the southern violence would end as there were many factors and separatist groups involved.
Kitti Rattanachaya, a former Fourth Army commander, said it would be a real breakthrough if the claimed ceasefire could be put to work.
He questioned why the army did not try to broker any dialogue and left the task to Gen Chettha.
Gen Kitti also said it was improper for Channel 5 to broadcast the ceasefire announcement worldwide as the group would use the exposure for self-promotion.
Special Branch commissioner Pol Lt-Gen Theeradej Rodpothong said no intelligence officers had ever seen the men who appeared in the TV footage and claimed to be the separatist leaders.
'' I'm afraid the southern unrest could get worse if the men who announced the ceasefire are not the true separatist leaders,'' he said.
The southern unrest has claimed some 3,500 lives in the past four years. Authorities have found it very hard to identify perpetrators of acts of violence in the region since the militants rarely claim responsibility for any attacks.
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