As Islamic insurgents stepped up attacks against security forces in neighbouring Narathiwat province _ killing five soldiers in a roadside bomb attack and wounding 12 others in other raids on army outposts on Wednesday and Friday respectively _ about 100 members of 16 civic and student groups staged a protest in front of Rajabhat University's Yala campus on Thursday against the alleged rape of a teenage Muslim girl by a young soldier.
Students from the Prince of Songkla University’s Pattani campus distribute leaflets to people at a local bus terminal in Pattani. They are calling for a probe into rape allegations against military authorities in the deep South and for those involved in the unrest to stick to peaceful means.
The protesters demanded justice for the victim and punishment for her tormentor, withdrawal of all troops from the far South and the lifting of the state of emergency.
Obviously, there is no connection between the alleged rape case and the insurgent attacks. However, there is something disturbing about the two cases that are worthy of further discussion _ that is the attitude of the local Muslim people towards the security forces as reflected by the 16 civic and student groups.
As for the alleged rape case, it was reliably reported that the incident took place in late February and the victim's family and the soldier had been negotiating quietly for a settlement which could have succeeded if someone had not wilfully posted a video clip of the encounter on the social media.
It was probably this unmanly act by one of the soldiers rather than the alleged rape which angered the victim's family who eventually lodged rape charges with the police against the soldier, identified as Pvt Vinai Klangvichai, 21.
Pvt Vinai and his colleague, Pvt Somyos Chanput, who allegedly filmed the sexual encounter with his mobile phone, are now being held in detention at a cell in Inkhayuth camp pending legal proceedings.
Army Commander-in-Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha went on record with an apology on behalf of the army and the Internal Security Operations Command for the incident last Tuesday. He also promised that the soldiers involved in the case had to be dealt according to the letter of the law.
Despite his apology and pledge for justice, it appears the 16 civic and student groups were not satisfied. During their protest on Thursday, they presented a list of demands, the most prominent being the demand for troop withdrawal from the far South and the lifting of the state of emergency still in force in most parts of the restive region.
Imagine what will happen to non-Muslims in the region if troops are pulled out? There will be a mass exodus of non-Muslims, government officials and even Malay Muslims who are in government service to join the tens of thousands who have already left to resettle in safer areas such as Songkhla. There have been so many horrible acts committed by the insurgents against innocent people for the simple fact that they are not Muslims. Or if they are Muslims, they are working as government servants.
Can the protest groups guarantee the safety of innocent civilians if there are no troops in the region? Who will maintain peace and order?
There is still violence despite the heavy presence of security forces which have not been successful in putting down the insurgency after eight years and more than 140 billion baht. But what will be the alternative if troops are withdrawn. The police?
Sexual relationships between soldiers based in the far South and local Muslim women, although prohibited by the army to protect the sensitivities of local Muslim communities, have occasionally happened. Colonel Thakorn Niamrin, of Isoc's forward command, said there have been hundreds of such cases in the past 7-8 years with many of them ending in marriage _ not to mention many cases of Muslim women running away with their solder boyfriends. He conceded the army's ban is not able to quell matters of the heart.
Abdulloh Ma, a local scholar in Banang Sata district of Yala, blames changing social mores for sexual impropriety among Muslim women. He admits that not only young Muslim girls but also married women are going astray.
While anger was vented against the security forces in general by the 16 civic and student groups, there wasn't any sign of sympathy or sorrow for families of the five dead soldiers who died at the hands of insurgents while they were returning to their base after protecting local villagers in Narathiwat last Wednesday night.
These soldiers are human beings too. Like the Muslim victims, they have wives, children and parents. Many of them, if they could choose, would opt for safer postings. So when they are posted down South, they have to do their job of keeping the peace. Of course, there are some rogue soldiers or rangers who do terrible things to the local people. But the majority of the security forces personnel are dedicated to their jobs, even if it means putting their own lives in danger.
The protest groups are totally indifferent to the fate of the soldiers, whether they are alive, dead, wounded or maimed by roadside bombs or shootings perpetrated by the insurgents, because they despise them for their mere presence in the region.
But then why were they so silent and did not utter a word of condemnation when a bomb was lobbed into a noodle shop in Narathiwat's Rueso district on March 1 in which nine people, including kindergarten pupils and teachers, were injured? Or the incident in Tak Bai district of Narathiwat on March 5 when suspected insurgents detonated a bomb near Ban Taba fresh market, killing one innocent civilian and injuring seven people, including three civilians and four soldiers?
The alleged rape is an isolated case involving two rogue soldiers and the rest of the security forces should not be dragged into the mess. Hopefully, the case will not be blown out of proportion to the extent that it creates schisms between local Malay Muslims and the security forces. More importantly, the army must prove with deeds and not mere words that justice must not only be maintained but seen to be maintained in this case for both parties involved.
Veera Prateepchaikul is a former editor, Bangkok Post.