Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Tuesday urged security agencies to speed up investigating a group of activists calling for a referendum on establishing an independent Muslim “Patani State” in the South.
Emerging from the weekly cabinet meeting, Gen Prayut said the government’s legal team and security agencies were investigating, and the authorities were checking media reports about a politician pulling strings.
However, he insisted the issue would be dealt with under the law.
“The most important thing is that we agree the gravity of the unrest in the far South should not go back to being as intense as before,” he told reporters.
“We intend to maintain peace in the region much as we can through the peace process.”
The prime minister added, however, that there could be disruption to peace efforts during the transition to the new government.
The authorities were spurred into action by the establishment of Pelajar Bangsa (“National Students”), a youth group representing students from the three southernmost provinces, during a seminar on the Pattani campus of Prince of Songkla University last week.
It is believed the group is the latest incarnation of the Federation of Patani Students and Youth (PerMas), which was disbanded in November 2021.
The seminar was titled “Self-Determination and Patani Peace”.
Speakers at the seminar included Worawit Baru, deputy leader of the Prachachat Party and MP-elect for Pattani; and Hakim Pongtigor, deputy secretary-general of the Fair Party.
The two parties are part of the prospective coalition led by the Move Forward Party, which is seeking to form the next government.
At the seminar, participants were given a ballot paper on which they were asked to vote for a referendum on an independent “Patani” state — the spelling preferred by those in favour of self-determination.
A picture of the ballot shared on social media prompted a reaction from netizens as well as security agencies.
However, both Prachachat and Fair have denied having anything to do with the ballot. They insisted they never entertained the thought, let alone acted, to support an independent state of Patani.
Move Forward Party leader and prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat has also said he opposes the idea of an independence referendum.
Lt Gen Santi Sakuntanak, the commander of the Fourth Army Region that is responsible for the South, chaired a meeting on Tuesday to follow up on the investigation into the Patani State seminar.
He said the investigation was making headway as it was looking into details of the seminar and who is behind the independent Patani campaign.
He said the investigation gave strong indications that the law was violated at the seminar, adding that he had instructed investigators to gather evidence quickly.