The Fourth Army Region commander has apologised for comments he made after his recent interview in which he accused Muslim religious schools, such as pondoks (boarding schools) and tadikas (kindergartens) of being breeding grounds for violence.
Lt Gen Narathip Poynok said he may have been at fault in what he said, which caused public unease, particularly among religious schools.
He stated that, in his capacity as director of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) Region 4 Forward Command, he is committed to resolving problems and fostering peace in the three southern border provinces.
Narathip’s off-mic remarks suggested that some of these institutions had played a role in fostering perpetrators of violence.
When asked whether he would engage directly with religious schools to restore understanding over the issue, Narathip said yes, noting that there are already ongoing activities in various schools.
The commander was speaking at a press briefing after attending a meeting with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who visited the southern region today.
Representatives of the Southern Private Schools Federation submitted a petition to Anutin during his visit to the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC) in Yala, demanding Narathip’s transfer following his remarks.
The group said the remarks distorted facts and undermined the value of the institutions and claimed that the commander’s inaccurate statements reflected a serious lack of understanding of the local context and could undermine peace in the southern border provinces.
Accompanying Narathip at the briefing was Defence Minister Lt Gen Adul Boonthamcharoen.
Adul said the prime minister was concerned about public criticism and had brought ministers and senior officials to hear the issues firsthand, including those related to pondok schools and the controversy over what the commander said when his microphone was turned off.
Adul confirmed that the commander is committed to his duties and determined to solve problems.
The atmosphere at the press conference, however, with a large number of reporters, may have created pressure, leading to lapses such as speaking off-mic.
He reiterated that the commander is acting with good intentions.
Asked about calls from pondok school associations for the commander’s transfer, Adul said dialogue is possible and that the matter did not constitute disciplinary or criminal wrongdoing, but rather a communication issue that had already been addressed with an apology.
Narathip earlier told Thai PBS that his remarks about religious schools were not intended as a generalisation, but referred only to certain cases.
He said there was no intention to provoke and that he remains committed to addressing the problem.
