Drug rings may be behind South insurgency

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011...-30149312.html

Drug rings may be behind South insurgency

By The Nation
Published on February 23, 2011
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Drug dealers and influential mafia bosses are said to be funding the insurgency and attacks in the deep South, including the most recent car bombings, an analysis by the Fourth Army Area commander Lt-General Udomchai Thammasarorat showed.

"They have also heightened their operations in response to extensive suppression by security forces and civilian authorities, and are on purpose showing off their potential to discourage those who want to lay down their arms, while boosting the morale of active insurgents," he said.

Udomchai concurred with a theory that the increase in violence was meant to draw the attention of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and get it to intervene.

"They want to show [to the OIC] that the situation is beyond control, that security officials cannot save or protect civilians," he added.

The number of attacks has risen in defiance of the authorities' success with the scheme in which insurgents are pardoned if they surrender. Since October, up to 100 insurgents have turned themselves in. "More and more of them will come and surrender, through a scheme that is secretly underway," he added.

Previously known for supporting and funding insurgency, drugs trafficking gangs are now backing attacks either in retaliation or undermine security operations targeting the drug trade. Last Sunday, police broke up a drug ring in Pattani's Yaring district and seized 64,000 amphetamine tablets, and earlier it had seized 96,000 tablets and Bt200,000 in cash from another trafficker.

Maj-General Phaithoon Choochaiya, who commands police operations in the entire South, said security officials were the obvious targets in last week's first two bomb attacks - an indication that drug traffickers were influential in planning and selecting targets for the insurgents to aim at. In the second attack on February 13, a drug ring helped insurgents evade security officials.

The first car bombing on February 13 wounded 17 people, the second on February 17 wounded another 17, while the latest attack on Monday killed one woman and wounded 17 others.

after just about 7 years they are now just figuring this out? I thought that the drug trade was pretty much one of the main sources of funding for most of these types of conflicts:

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The Taliban are most likely paying for their recent insurgency with drug money from Afghanistan's opium fields, but may also be receiving money from some Middle Eastern countries and al Qaeda organizations, a U.N. official said Tuesday.
U.N. suspects drug funds behind Taliban fighting - SFGate

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"The involvement of al-Qaeda in the drugs trade does not come as a surprise," Maghreb affairs expert Nasr El Din Ben Hadid told Magharebia. "They adopt the principle of 'the ends justify the means'."

"The fact that terrorist groups have resorted to the trafficking of drugs is an open secret," agreed Amine Kirem, an Algerian researcher on Islamic movements.

"Investigations carried out by the special services in Algeria have highlighted a very close relationship between terrorist groups and drug barons," he explained, adding that terrorists are using the illegal drug trade to buy weapons and explosives.

Al-Qaeda, drug traffic alliance threatens Sahel security (Magharebia.com)

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^ Do they offer any evidence?

Well, there's reports from both sides of the coin, unfortunately in terms of evidence, none has been released, the only thing available it seems is a news story.

For example, there's some articles from 2001 regarding a UN report that stated that the Taliban banned the production of opium and had cut down quite a large percentage of the production in country, yet a report two years later states the exact opposite.

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Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Drug dealers and influential mafia bosses are said to be funding the insurgency and attacks in the deep South, including the most recent car bombings, an analysis by the Fourth Army Area commander Lt-General Udomchai Thammasarorat showed.

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:smileylaughing:

and this is the standard of the military hierarchy :(

it would appear I'm not alone ........................

Army heads on the chopping board for southern violence

Two Democrat MPs on Wednesday called for the resignations of Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha and 4th Army Region commander Lt General Udomchai Thammasarorat, demanding accountability for the escalating violence in the three southernmost provinces.

"The Army chief and the 4th Army Region commander should be held accountable for their failure to map out a correct solution for the strife-torn region," the two said in a press statement.

The two are Prasert Pongsuwansiri from Yala and Anwar Salaeh from Pattani.

The increase in bombing incidents eroded the public trust in the performance of security authorities. The local residents have begun to question whether the deployment of troops was a problem rather than a solution to the violence, the statement said.

nationmultimedia.com

the above would appear to be the story behind the story :rolleyes:

.

^ Interesting indeed! It has to be said that the violence has gotten worse of late and the attacks more sophisticated, a couple of car bombs in the last week or so being prime examples...and they aren't cheap. The money for these is coming from somewhere...

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/loca...y-with-dem-mps

Senior soldiers 'unhappy' with Dem MPs

• Published: 24/02/2011 at 12:11 PM
• Online news:

Several army unit commanders in Bangkok were very annoyed by the southern Democrat MPs who have demanded the removal of national army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha for failing to end the unrest in the three southern border provinces, an army source said.

The commanders had called a meeting in Bangkok to discuss measures to be taken to show their dissatisfaction with the government MPs.

Four southern Democrat MPs - Anwar Salae and Ismael Ben-ibrohim of Pattani and Prasert Pongsuwansiri and Abdulkarim Dengrakiba of Yala - called a press conference at parliament on Wednesday, calling for the government to replace Gen Prayuth if he does not quickly end the insurgency problem in the far South. They said the violence in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat provinces was intensifying, not diminishing.

Commanders of army units in Bangkok were unhappy with the MPs' unfavourable remarks about the competence of Gen Prayuth, whom they regard as the symbol of the army, the source said.

They saw the action taken by the four MPs as insulting to the army and were of the opinion that the MPs should stick to their own duties. They said soldiers had sacrificed for the country everywhere - be it in the restive South or on the Cambodian border around the Preah Vihear temple.

It was not clear what they would do to show their dissatisfaction and to protect the army, the source said.

Deputy Prime Minister for national security Suthep Thaugsuban said on Thursday he had been informed of this matter by a fellow MP, who read the comments in a newspaper.

He said at Government House that he would invite the four MPs to see him today to clarify this matter.

The MPs should have raised this matter with him who has been entrusted by the prime minister to oversee problems in the southern border provinces, Mr Suthep said.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/loca...to-draw-in-oic

Prayuth says rebels hope to draw in OIC

Residents asked to act as army's eyes and ears

• Published: 24/02/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

Insurgents have intensified their attacks in the lower South in the hope of attracting the intervention of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, says army commander-in-chief Prayuth Chan-ocha.

Gen Prayuth left Bangkok yesterday to inspect the situation in the South.

The trip was part of a tour to observe the management of the branch office of the Internal Security Operations Command of the 4th Army Region.

He said he would look into the details of recent attacks, which often took place in urban community areas, and discuss possible solutions with the officials concerned.

Gen Prayuth said the army might have to go on the offensive and try harder to locate militants in hiding in the mountains and around towns.

A wave of major shooting and bomb attacks since the start of the year is being seen as an attempt by separatists to intensify the violence in a bid to highlight Thailand's southern insurgency and draw the OIC's attention. It is scheduled to meet in Kazakhstan in June.

"We will not fall for the [militants'] tricks," the army chief said.

"We will do our best by invoking the law and by solving our own internal problem."

Gen Prayuth said tighter security measures would be implemented. He called for more residents of the South to become the eyes and ears of the state.

However, the army is concerned for the safety of people who might be harmed by insurgents for cooperating with authorities. The commander-in-chief said the army was handling the insurgency problem through a multi-dimensional approach using the justice system, military strategies and development projects.

It is also continuing to build an understanding with people on issues such as history, ethnicity and religion.

But the more progress officials make and the more support they gain from local people, the more militants will intensify their attacks.

The army chief said more surveillance cameras must be installed as they could help identify rebels perpetrating violence.

Meanwhile, police have linked a key member of the militant Runda Kumpulan Kecil separatist movement to Monday's motorcycle bomb attack in Yala in which 18 people were injured.

The man was identified as Aumran Ming, an RKK group leader who lives in Narathiwat's Rangae district, said provincial police chief Chaitat Inthanujit.

Mr Aumran is wanted for involvement in many violent attacks against authorities and civilians since 2003.

He is thought to have set off a car bomb at a restaurant in Yala in 2009 that injured 43 people, Pol Maj Gen Chaitat said.

http://www.tannetwork.tv/tan/ViewData.aspx?DataID=1041108

Army Chief Condemns Pheu Thai MP Accusing Intentions to Prolong Southern Violence

UPDATE : 25 February 2011

The Army Chief has condemned a Phue Thai Party MP for claiming the Army wants to continue the southern insurgency for financial benefits.

Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha lashed out at Pheu Thai Party MP Suchart Lainam-ngern over a claim that high-ranking military officers have greatly benefited from the ongoing southern insurgency.

According to the Army Chief, Suchart said low-ranking military personnel are killed, while high-ranking officers prolong the restive situation to enjoy financial benefits.


The most serious accusation was that low-ranking soldiers are killed because high-ranking personnel orchestrate the bombs.

The Army chief argued that he and other hi-ranking executives have tried to ensure the safety of operating officers and have also taken care of their family members.

He added that Suchart does not know anything about military strategies, and his remarks have seriously tarnished the Army.

Bangkok Post : Suthep apologises to army chief

Suthep apologises to army chief

• Published: 25/02/2011 at 12:23 PM
• Online news: Local News

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban has apologised to army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha after four Democrat MPs publicly criticised him for failing to end the insurgency in the southern border area.

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Deputy Prime Minister overseeing security Suthep Thaugsuban

"I talked to Gen Prayuth on the phone to say sorry and he said he understands the situation," Mr Suthep said at Government House on Friday.

The Democrat secretary-general said he had a meeting with the four MPs and them to clarify their comments.

They told him that they wanted to explain the feelings of the people living in the restive three southernmost provinces, that the security forces in the region should improve their performance because much of the violence had recently occurred in city areas.

"I have warned the four MPs. The Democrat Party allows its MPs to discuss the people's problems internally, but the four MPs did not follow the process," Mr Suthep said.

On Wednesday, four southern Democrat MPs - Anwar Salae and Ismael Ben-ibrohim of Pattani and Prasert Pongsuwansiri and Abdulkarim Dengrakiba of Yala - called a press conference at parliament, calling for the government to replace Gen Prayuth if he does not quickly end the insurgency problem in the far South.

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Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Drug dealers and influential mafia bosses are said to be funding the insurgency and attacks in the deep South

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Wow, stunning revelation. :rolleyes: Organised crime is pretty much always involved in insurgencies, often on both sides. Look at the IRA & UVF in Ulster. To fund it, well mebbe- but also to make money from it.

Might be a good time to revisit the assassination of the senior Police guy down there too, who had the temerity to 'expose' (snigger) Police corruption in high ranks. Thats organised crime too. But don't hold yer breath. Thailand Inc. is an organised criminal enterprise, so when organised crime is 'branded' such it is of course half of the equation. Only the opposing or dissenting forces are branded criminal.

Thailands history of murdering whistleblowers- be they Australian auditors, human rights lawyers, disgruntled cops, or honest cops fighting corruption tells you much more than the media actually does here, and with considerably more brevity.

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Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Drug rings may be behind South insurgency

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A non story that makes a headline , note that there is NO further mention of drugs in any of the follow up articles .

But hey Gaddafi also blames drugs for the Libyan violence .