Source: International terrorists financing rebel groups

WASSANA NANUAM MUHAMMAD AYUB PATHAN

Narathiwat _ Southern insurgent networks probably receive funding from and share their ideology with international terrorist groups, a security source said yesterday.
The source said proof of the links lies in the militants' systemised management of their organisations and the pattern of violent attacks perpetrated by well-trained assailants.
The rebels also appear to be financed by international terror groups and share ideologies, the source added.
Army chief Anupong Paojinda said earlier he had new information about the southern insurgency that he planned to present to the new government.
He did not elaborate.
But the source said the new information pertained to the discovery of a link between the insurgent leaders and international terrorist groups.
It contradicts what then prime minister Surayud Chulanont said previously.
Gen Surayud on Jan 18 dismissed the idea of financial connections between local militant groups and the al-Qaeda terrorist network.
He said, however, that they shared ideologies.
Gen Anupong, who visited the provincial special task force headquarters in Narathiwat's Muang district yesterday, was told that the insurgents were losing strength as more and more of their sympathisers were cooperating with local authorities.
At a briefing by task force commander Maj-Gen Theerachai Nakwanich, he was also told that many core rebel members were being arrested.
In Yala, an 80-strong combined force of police, soldiers, and rangers raided a fruit orchard in Bannang Sata district after the authorities were told Ma-aea Apibanbae, a Runda Kumpulan Kecil core leader, and his underlings were hiding there and preparing an attack.
The force and the suspected insurgents clashed for 10 minutes, and a policeman and one suspected militant were killed.
The slain rebel was believed to be Mr Ma-aea's younger brother Sulaiman, aged 27.
Also in Yala, a rubber grower was shot dead in front of a mosque in Krong Pinang sub-district on Monday night while on his way to attend evening prayers at the mosque.
In Sa Kaeo, a Cambodian Muslim was captured yesterday for carrying a fake Thai citizenship card shortly after crossing into Thailand in Aranyaprathet district, according to rangers at the Burapha task force who intercepted the suspect, police said.
The suspect, Suem Sari, 28, is believed to have travelled with six other Cambodian nationals who slipped back into Cambodia through the checkpoint when they saw him being arrested.
The group was thought to be heading for the deep South as Suem Sari was carrying with him bus tickets from Bangkok to Narathiwat.
Suem Sari also had with him a passport, which was genuine, along with five ATM cards.