Amlo uncovers cash trail from Mideast to South

The Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) said it has uncovered a trail of financial transfers from the Middle East to Thailand’s violence-infested deep South. 

Suwanee Sawaengpol, Amlo deputy chief, said yesterday that the agency was checking to see if these transactions were related to the insurgency. 

So far, 27 agencies, including Amlo, have raided and launched investigations into individuals and companies suspected of financing insurgents in the South. As a result, assets worth Bt28.49 million have been seized between October last year and July this year, Suwanee said.

Meanwhile, the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc), on orders from Army commander-in-chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha, is studying the five improved preconditions handed in by insurgent group Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) to see how practical they would be if they are accepted.

Citing a BRN precondition that it be allowed to run a special administrative scheme in the deep South, Isoc spokesman Colonel Banphot Phoolphian said that though Bangkok and Pattaya City were self-administered, the cities’ populations could be taxed and were capable of self-governing. However, he said, granting self-administration to the 2 million people in the South would not be viable on such grounds. 

The Isoc will present its recommendations on this and the other four preconditions to the military and a new government coordination centre next month before the fourth round of meetings is held with the BRN, which is scheduled roughly for the third week of October. 

Maj-General Surachart Jitjaeng, spokesman for the defence ministry’s office that handles public relations on security measures in the South, said more security officials appear to be targeted in the recent months compared to civilians. 

Though the general did not provide the number of casualties, he cited two recent incidents – a case in which five police officers, working to control smuggling of contraband, were ambushed and killed, and an attack in which all three Army paramilitary rangers building toilets were gunned down. 

An academic with expertise in insurgency violence, Asst Prof Srisompob Jitpiromsri, said BRN’s new preconditions had created a framework for both sides to work on, adding that the Council of State, which works as the interpreter of law, should be given the job of scrutinising the preconditions. 

“The BRN’s new preconditions show that the dialogue process is making some progress. It’s not whether the Thai authorities will or will not accept them, but at least the demands do not go against the Constitution or constitute separatism,” he added.