Panel to vet BRN demands

Panel to vet BRN demands

Prayuth says review will determine fate of talks

The government-backed panel tackling violence in the far South will meet this week to consider the five demands put forward by the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN).

The Centre for the Implementation of Policies and Strategies for Solving Problems in Southern Border Provinces will decide whether meeting the separatist group's demands is feasible, army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha said Monday.

The Internal Security Operations Command had agreed that some of the demands, if deemed acceptable, could be taken up for further talks, Gen Prayuth said.

Persistent bomb attacks have forced authorities to consider the group's demands closely, Gen Prayuth said.

He said, however, that some of the demands could not be met as doing so would breach the constitution.

"We may not be able to force them to stop bombings today or tomorrow, but we can seek help from the domestic and international community to put pressure on them," Gen Prayuth said.

The army chief stressed that talks remain necessary to solving problems in the far South.

"The scope of the talks must be ironed out in order that we have a clear answer that it will involve neither a special administrative zone nor independence [for the southern border states]," Gen Prayuth added.

The BRN in April issued five demands to the government in exchange for reducing violence in the region.

The demands are that the government accept the role of Malaysia as the peace talks mediator and that the talks be attended by the Melayu Pattanis led by the BRN and the Thai government.

Asean members, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and NGOs must also be allowed to witness the talks, and the government must release all detained suspects and suspend and revoke all arrest warrants concerning national security cases without condition.

The BRN also wants its status to be recognised as a Pattani liberation movement, rather than a separatist group. (Story continues after the photo.)

Security officers examine a blast site on a road in Ban Bacho of Yala's Bannang Sata district Monday afternoon. Four troops who were on patrol at the time were slightly wounded. (Photo by Maluding Deeto)

Meanwhile, four army officers attached to Company 1723 of Yala Taskforce 15 were wounded in a roadside bomb blast in Yala's Bannang Sata district Monday afternoon.

The explosion took place while the troops were on patrol in Ban Ba-cho.

The wounded officers were Pvt Akapol Saksitphanuphab, Pvt Surachart Jaidee, Pvt Kittipong Ngam-ta and Pvt Watcharapol Tanong.

They were slightly injured in the blast and taken to Yala Regional Hospital for treatment.

The explosion came from an improvised bomb weighing 5-7kg and detonated by radio signal, officers said.

Authorities blamed southern insurgents for the attack, accusing them of aiming to derail talks between officials and the BRN.

Meanwhile, one resident was killed and two others injured in three separate attacks in Pattani yesterday.

Saripa Yusoe, 47, was killed in a ride-by shooting in tambon Bangkao of Nong Chik district while riding her motorcycle home, Pattani police commander Akapob Prasitwatthanachai said.

Sama-ae Mosoe, 50, Moo 4 village headman, was shot and injured in front of his home in tambon Nongrad of Yaring district shortly after midnight, Pol Maj Gen Akapob said.

Umae-kreusong Salamor, 32, was wounded in a gun attack in front of his home in tambon Bangkro of Khok Pho district, he added.

In Yala's Raman district, police surrounded a shack in tambon Yata's Moo 4 about midnight, acting on a tip-off that insurgent and drug suspects were hiding there. Police apprehended Noorhasan Basolor, 21, who was in the shack alone.

Officers found 20 speed pills, an AK-47 assault rifle, two home-made firearms, 47 rounds of ammunition, 10kg of urea and two gas cylinders. Raman police chief Uthai Thipsaepha said the weapons were linked to insurgent leader Rohing Arsong.

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