Author: AFP
Publication: www.channelnewsasia.com
Date: May 1, 2004
URL: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/82705/1/.html
Thailand has defended its handling
of violence in the Muslim south and rejected growing international calls
for an investigation into the deaths of more than 100 militants.
"Some foreign countries have expressed
their readiness to interfere and what I can say is that we have done everything
to exercise maximum restraint," Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said
in his weekly radio address.
"If we already explained and they
do not understand, that is their problem. We are not begging for food from
any countries and we did not start this problem," he said, adding that
no foreign figures had any role in the debate.
The defiant premier said the security
forces' overwhelming response to Muslim rebels' attacks on police stations
and checkpoints Wednesday should be seen in the context of the recent wave
of violence in the south.
"There were 97 police, military,
monks and people killed and more than 90 injured along with countless arson
attacks on government buildings," he said of the unrest which flared at
the start of the year.
Thaksin reiterated his belief that
the militants were not separatists despite confessions from those captured
that they were part of a force seeking independence for the Muslim- majority
south.
"I am not convinced that those people
were motivated by separatist ideology because according to Islamic principles
all followers should protect their motherland and 99.99 percent of them
were born on Thai soil," he said.
The premier's remarks came after
the UN's top human rights official called on the government to promptly
investigate the deaths of so many rebels at the hands of security forces
who were well-armed and well-prepared for an attack..
Acting High Commissioner for Human
Rights Bertrand Ramcharan noted that "officials are required to refrain
from using force exceeding that strictly required by the exigencies of
the situation," his spokesman said.
Thailand's national human rights
commissioner Wasant Panich reportedly said he had documented many accounts
from witnesses that police had killed suspected militants who were incapable
of fighting back.
"There were many options open to
the soldiers allowing them to use more a lenient approach with the assailants,"
Wasant was quoted as saying in The Nation newspaper.
Several other organisations including
New York-based Human Rights Watch have also called for an inquiry into
the events.
Thaksin's comments also appeared
to have been targeted at Malaysia's announcement Friday that it would accept
any refugees fleeing the violence, a decision that came a day after it
insisted they would be turned back.
"It will not be refugee camps but
some arrangements must be made," Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was
quoted as saying by the Bernama news agency.
"They will want a place of refuge
until peace returns to their area and with the uncertainty at present naturally
they will want to come over here."
Australia on Saturday widened its
travel warning to Thailand to include many popular tourist destinations.
The advice followed a warning by
Muslim separatists Thursday which told foreigners to stay away from the
southern provinces as well as top tourism spots further north.
"Australians should also exercise
particular vigilance in the provinces of Phuket, Krabi (including Ko Phi
Phi), Phang Nga, Pattalung and Satun," Australia's department of foreign
affairs said.
Australia, along with Britain, Denmark
and New Zealand, had already advised their citizens not to travel to the
five Muslim-majority provinces bordering Malaysia after the unprecedented
violence.
