September 20, 2006

  • Army vows rapid rescue for hostages More suspects held in assault on teachers
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    作者：Anonymity    转贴自：Bangkok post    点击数：159    文章录入：zchemily
    POST REPORTERS

    The army yesterday pledged fast
    action against hostage-takers in the future, while the caretaker
    government announced plans to set up mobile units to contain spreading
    militancy in the deep South.

    Army chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin yesterday
    said security forces must mount an attempt to rescue hostages “within
    ten minutes” of their capture. He also ordered a speedy investigation
    into last Friday’s brutal attack on two female teachers held hostage by
    residents of Gujingruepo village in Rangae district of Narathiwat.

    Meanwhile, education officials from Yala, Pattani
    and Narathiwat, who met in Songkhla yesterday demanded that when
    teachers are held hostage, security forces must launch an attempt to
    rescue them within 15 minutes.

    Last Friday it took security forces three hours to rescue teachers Juling Pongkunmul and Sirinat Thawornsuk from their captors.

    Ms Juling was severely beaten and suffered brain
    damage and other serious injuries. She remained under intensive care at
    a hospital in Songkhla yesterday.

    Lt-Gen Ongkorn Thongprasom, the Fourth Army
    chief, put his career on the line as he pledged yesterday to take
    decisive action against future hostage-takers.

    “I will resign. If a similar incident happens
    again, I won’t be able to remain in the army. I will have to leave the
    military service,” he said.

    “If hostages are taken [in the future] we will
    send troops in immediately. If we have to clash with members of the
    united front [of separatist insurgents and their sympathisers], we will
    go ahead and face the consequences,” said the general.

    Two marines were killed by their captors in
    September last year because security forces were reluctant to rescue
    them by force for fear that the locals who sympathised with the
    insurgents could be killed or injured in an armed rescue operation, he
    said.

    “From now on, we will not wait. We will not hold
    back for negotiations. The safety of hostages is of utmost importance,”
    said Lt-Gen Ongkorn.

    Gen Sonthi called the attack on the two teachers an “act of terror” that was “cruel, barbaric and inhuman”.

    “It showed the lack of mercy for other human
    beings as well as the lack of respect for teachers who sacrifice
    themselves for the benefit of children,” he said.

    Another four suspects in the attack on the
    teachers were arrested by Rangae police yesterday. All of them were
    residents of Gujingrupo village. One of them was a 44-year-old woman
    called Meeda Maesoh. The rest were identified as Faisal Doloh, 20,
    Doloh Toroh, 53, and Saharen Isaree, 19.

    Police said Mr Saharen was identified by the other three suspects as one of the people who beat up the two teachers.

    So far, a total of seven people have been arrested in connection with the assault on the two teachers.

    The first suspect, a local woman named Karima
    Masalaeh, was arrested soon after the attack. Another two suspects were
    arrested on Sunday.

    Mrs Karima, whose husband was one of the suspects
    arrested early on Friday in connection with the killing of the two
    marines in September last year, was believed to have instigated the
    abduction of the two teachers in a bid to pressure for the release of
    her husband.

    Police investigators claimed Mrs Karima, 25, also
    mobilised other local Muslims to assault the two teachers and took part
    in the attack herself.

    Intelligence sources said some 200 Muslim women
    had been trained by separatist insurgents and sent to villages in the
    deep South. They proved effective because security officials tended to
    exempt them from body searches for fear of insulting Islamic
    sensitivities, the sources said.

    Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Chidchai
    Wannasathit yesterday spoke of plans to set up mobile units for
    deployment in high-risk areas in a bid to restore the morale of
    teachers in the deep South.


    from http://ny.xmu.edu.cn/en/ShowArticle.asp?ArticleID=1819

    General Sondhi says, “If hostages are taken . . . if we have to clash with members of the
    united front [of separatist insurgents and their sympathisers], we will
    go ahead and face the consequences.”

    Someone please tell me, HOW does this differ from the criticized “heavy-handed” practices of Thaksin?????????

    (Answer:  It doesn’t.)

    So, the coup has nothing to do with helping to protect Thai people from the Muslim terrorists.  If General Sondhi is doing nothing different from Thaksin, then his coup is simply a way to gain power, and nothing more.