Authorities to discuss BRN demands

Royal Thai Army commander-in-chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha said he expected Thailand’s stance on the issue to become clear after the meeting.
A government-appointed committee tasked with resolving problems in the South will look into BRN’s demands at the meeting.
BRN also wants to install Malaysia as a mediator instead of a facilitator of the peace talks, which began earlier this year.
“It depends on whether the steering committee will agree to BRN’s demands,” Prayuth said yesterday.
So far, the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) had said it would not be possible to meet some of the demands because they were clearly against the Thai law and Constitution.
Prayuth went on to say that BRN continued launching attacks to increase its negotiating power, and hoped that both the Thai and international communities would pressure the group to stop perpetuating violence.
The Army chief was also not less than enthusiastic about the Office of the Attorney General’s suggestion that security agencies buy drones (aircraft without pilots) and satellite devices to improve their operations in the deep South.
“Having tools is better than having nothing, but I must insist that these tools cannot solve all the problems,” he said. Prayuth pointed out that these items would not be able to tell the difference between good people and those with bad intentions.
He said it was necessary to end the unrest through dialogue, but these talks should not lead to the separation of Thailand’s territory or the establishment of a special administrative zone in the region.
The BRN had offered a truce during the month of Ramadan, which ended recently, and while there were less attacks in the first week, violence intensified later.
On Sunday, two bombs exploded at a liquid petroleum gas filling facility in Narathiwat, injuring many people and damaging several buildings nearby.
In the wake of these bombings, Songkhla Governor Krissada Boonraj instructed relevant officials to step up security in Songkhla’s Hat Yai and Muang districts – the economic zones in the South.
In Pattani, at least three people were shot at yesterday. Sareepa Yusoh, 47, was gunned down while riding a motorcycle home in Nong Chik district, while the other two victims got away with injuries.
In Bannang Sata in Yala, four soldiers sustained minor injuries when a bomb exploded near the road they were patrolling on foot.
In Raman district, Yala police arrested a 21-year-old man for possessing 20 meth-amphetamine tablets and guns.
He also had 10 kilograms of urea fertiliser, a chemical that can be used to make bombs.