According to a news report on December 11, 2008, Maj. Gen. Verachai Nakvanich, commander of the Narathiwat Task Force Unit, chaired an event to receive misled people who had decided to attend the People Cooperating to Do Good for the Realm project (Pracharuamjai Thamkuamdeepueapaendin project). According to the news, those (claimed to be) misled people are ordinary villagers, religious leaders and local leaders, altogether 158, living in six villages of two sub-districts, which are Savor sub-district (58 persons) and Batong sub-district (100 persons) in Ruesoh, Narathiwat province. Later on, the officials took all 158 persons to attend this two-week training program located in Inkayuth-Boriharn Army camp, Pattani, and Senanarong Army camp, Songkhla.
The Working Group on Justice for Peace (WGJP) has received a complaint from the detainees that they were called to report to a Task Force Unit in Narathiwat province without being informed of the purpose. These people never committed any wrong nor gave assistance to the insurgents. However, once they arrived at the Task Force, they were brought to make a press conference and it was claimed that they were people misled by the insurgents. They complained that this operation by the Task Force Unit has discredited them and the family members. Besides, they are not willing to participate to the two-week training program.
The WGJP is concerned that this is involuntary training. Previously in late 2007 there was a similar incident in which that the 4th Army forced people to participate in four-month vocational training and the participants lodged complaints to the provincial courts in Ranong, Chumphon and Surat Thani and the courts ordered the release of those people on 30 October 2007 (see Surat Thani Provincial Court, Black Case No. RorPhor 1/2550, Red Case No. RorPhor 1/2550).
As this new two-week training appears to be similar to the four-month training program, the WGJP would like to request those responsible for the new two-week training program as follows:
1. Release these 158 people immediately and without any conditions.
2. Ensure that any training is done willingly and voluntarily by participants. The training program has to take into consideration the possible effects on the families and living conditions of the participants.
3. Request state officers to strictly apply the rule of law and procedures in accordance with human rights when detaining persons. The accusation that any person has been misled must be based on clear evidence from transparent investigation. Only this way can people from the Deep South build up confidence in the judicial system and the state can regain trust from the citizenry.
(Contact Angkhana Neelapaichit +66 84 728 0350)
(Bangkok 20/2551, 15 December 2008)
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