Thailand’s National Security Council (NSC) issued a statement today, denouncing the violence inflicted on innocent people, especially children, women and the elderly, by insurgents in the Deep South, as uncivilised acts which will never help in finding a political solution to the conflict.
The council said that the violence is a gross violation of human rights, the law and international norms, with a complete disregard to life and property.
The violence also indicates that the insurgent groups are insincere about bringing about peace in the region, according to the statement.
The NSC expressed condolences to both Thai Buddhist and Muslim people who have fallen victim to acts committed by the insurgents. It also vowed to bring all the perpetrators to justice.
The statement was issued following a recent string of violent incidents, targeting civilians. On Friday, a group of six insurgents, riding three motorcycles, opened fire at a house in Tak Bai district of Narathiwat, killing three civilians, including a nine-year-old girl. Two others were also injured.
On April 22nd, a 16-year-old novice monk was killed and another 12-year-old was injured when insurgents attacked a pickup truck on a rural road in Saba Yoi district of Songkhla province.
Meanwhile, three police officers were injured in an explosion this afternoon, as they were trying to remove a surveillance camera attached to a utility pole in Chang Phuek sub-district of Janae district in Narathiwat.
According to an initial report, one of the officers, Pol Corporal Pakapong Suwanchana, sustained serious injuries to his face and left hand.
NIDA polling, meanwhile, reports that most of the respondents to its recent survey said that the government does not attach sufficient importance to resolving the unrest in the three southernmost provinces.
The poll also shows that 33.45% of the respondents feel that the security situation in the region has not improved over the past 20 years, while 42.18% say economic development has improved.
