Tak Bai incident ' used to incite violence'
ILL-INTENTIONED people should stop citing the Tak Bai incident to instigate violence in the strife-torn South, spokesman for the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) Region 4, Colonel Pramote Phrom-in, said yesterday.
“Nine years have passed and local residents want to put the incident behind,” he said in reference to the botched transport of protesters that killed some 85 of them in Narathiwat’s Tak Bai.
The Isoc has beefed up security in the three southern-most provinces as a precaution on the day marking the ninth anniversary of the incident.
Pramote said insurgents were exploiting the incident in order to sow distrust between the local residents and the authorities.
A large number of innocent people, state officials and security forces were killed as insurgents cited the incident as a pretext for reprisals, he said.
Violence would reduce if all parties refrained from attitudes of hate and distrust, he said.
National Security Council secretary-general Paradorn Pattanatabut said students at the Prince of Songkla, Pattani Campus had organised an event to mark the incident.
“I don’t anticipate any problem because the students meant it only as a gesture of remembrance,” he said.
Paradorn said security forces were on the right track in launching pre-emptive measures to keep peace, lowering the risk of violent incidents.
Commenting on the peace dialogue, he said he was coordinating with the Malaysian facilitator to set the date for the next round of talks.
He voiced optimism that the dialogue might take place next month. He said one of his talking points would focus on the demand for insurgents to reduce their violent activities.
He also said he expected Hassan Toyib of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional to continue his lead role in the dialogue.
