Writer: Wassana Nanuam & Yuwadee Tunyasiri
Bangkok Post
Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul has
denied the government has concluded that Cambodian Muslims are involved
in attacks in the far South.
Watch your step
Marines in Chanthaburi practise patrolling, bomb detection and
guarding teachers yesterday during the last leg of a one-month exercise
before being posted to the restive South next month. SURAPOL PROMSAKA NA
SAKOLNAKORN
Mr Surapong said yesterday that Cambodian Muslims had been travelling
to Malaysia through Thailand to settle there for a long time.
He was responding to a report that the Cambodian Foreign Ministry had
expressed dissatisfaction with Thai authorities who suggested Cambodian
Muslims might be involved in the insurgency in the troubled southern
provinces of Thailand.
Mr Surapong also said he would discuss the issue with Deputy Prime
Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa and army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha who are
concerned about the possible roles of Cambodian Muslims in the far South.
Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) spokesman Ditthaporn
Sasasamit, said yesterday there had been no evidence to prove that
Cambodian Muslims who had entered Thailand through the eastern provinces
were involved in the insurgency in the restive South.
He said some Cambodian Muslims come for work or religious activities
and others travel on to Malaysia to seek jobs or meet their compatriots
who work there. However, authorities are still examining whether these
arrivals in Thailand pose any security threat.
Meanwhile, the Defence Council discussed the structure and roles of the new southern command centre of the government yesterday.
Defence Ministry spokesman Thanathip Sawangsaeng said after the
meeting that Mr Yutthasak, who supervises security affairs, will be the
director of the southern command centre.
Deputy directors will be Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung,
Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit and
Defence Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat.
The southern command centre will integrate intelligence operations of
the office of the defence permanent secretary, the Royal Thai Armed
Forces Headquarters, the armed forces and the Isoc.
The command centre will also supervise the implementation of
development projects by 17 ministries to meet the demands of people in
the region.
For local operations, the centre through the army and the Isoc will
carry out work in five areas: security for life and property, justice,
infrastructure and quality of life, human rights and solutions to local
conflicts.
The centre will have police and volunteers assist in security operations in the far South.
The Isoc will propose Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra approve the
structures and work of the southern command centre next week.
A source who attended the Defence Council meeting yesterday said
deputy army chief Dapong Rattanasuwan will be appointed as
secretary-general of the command centre.
3 comments:
If Cambodians are capable of being insurgents, wouldn't they think they could have topple their own government already? Stupid Thai generals.
You are making a good point.
Cambodian Cham are very supportive of CPP, they were among original peoples who provided a place for Viets invasion troops to topple Pol Pot. Even if they can topple Hun Sen, they won't do it. I believed some might took up armed with their brothers and sister Cham at Malaysian & Thai borders. They might do it without Hun Sen knoweldges. Not all are joining Muslim south. Again, I also don't believe anything Siam claimed because they were very dishonest peoples. Siam for many years got the world to believe that they were peace loving peoples. Yet they killed their helpless neighbors refugees like animals. So only natural that Muslim in the south fight back.
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