How to lose the message

How to lose the message

While the deep South burns, the government fiddles. While this has arguably been true for several decades, events of the past couple of weeks have been as horrifically distressing as they have been instructive. A new and indefensible round of butchery has left many dead, and puts the lives of all ordinary people at risk. It also shows the danger of taking government eyes off the country’s most obvious and dangerous security threat.

The latest and in some ways saddest tale to emerge from the southernmost provinces began Feb 3. Several men armed with military assault rifles opened fire on five members of a family returning from Monday night prayers at a mosque in Palukasamoh village, Bacho district of Narathiwat province. The family apparently believed the target of the ambush was Jehmu Maman, 40, the father. In fact, he was not shot or pursued when he took flight. The armed men murdered the family’s three young boys — Muyahed, 11, Bahari, 9, and Eleyas, 6. Their mother, Padeelaeh, was shot in the hand, perhaps accidentally.

All signs at the killing field indicated the children were specifically targeted. Each was shot in the chest. In the days since, authorities have made no known progress in identifying the gunmen. Police immediately blamed insurgents as the likely killers. A police investigator, however, believes "a personal conflict’’ is involved. In an interview with this newspaper, Mr Jehmu said he had no idea who murdered his children.

Mr Jehmu was reminded by the reporter that he is currently on bail in a legal case in which he has been charged with murder. When reminded, he admitted the Appeal Court had recently acquitted him in the cold-blooded killing of an assistant village chief in a nearby tambon of Pattani province. No public effort has been made by authorities to link the murder acquittal with the brutal killings of Mr Jehmu’s children.

That was the point at which the authorities erred. With the top military, police and cabinet ministers all consumed with the Bangkok protests, no one realised the huge danger posed by the case. But commanders of the southern gangs last week began a new, barbaric campaign. They shot a bank clerk off her motorcycle, and set her body alight. They ambushed a 67-year-old monk on his morning rounds, killing him and three members of a family giving alms, including a 12-year-old boy. A note addressed to "the army commander" said more such killings would follow.

It is unclear whether the southern gangs really believe their own propaganda that government troops or security forces killed Mr Jehmu’s children. No evidence exists to that effect, and common sense indicates an investigation should focus for now on a possible mafia-type revenge motive. But the southern insurgents have clearly grabbed the issue from a government security force that is staggering strategically and floundering politically because of the Bangkok protests.

The horrific tactics of bodily mutilation and targeting of religious figures are unacceptable to any decent person. No justification is possible. The very idea is disgusting that vigilante killings of innocents somehow accounts for other killings.

The deaths of the Maman children cannot be avenged. But justice could and should be brought to bear. Bangkok-based security and government authorities must give immediate and careful attention to this case. Justice can expose the killers of the innocent Narathiwat boys, bring the law to a Narathiwat village, and remove any excuse for insurgents to terrorise the area.

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