Muslims in Thailand's troubled south on yesterday expressed doubt and mistrust over Premier Thaksin Shinawatra's vow to bring security and justice to the region after the deaths of 87 protesters.
Thaksin's words of regret, his announcement of an independent commission to investigate the incident, and pledges to bring security to the south did not sway sceptical Muslims who watched his Friday night address to the nation.
PHOTO: AFP
"Most people here do not believe the prime minister's statements and absolutely don't believe his assurances about safety and justice that Muslim people will receive," one middle-aged Muslim, dressed in sarong and skull cap, told reporters in Pattani.
He was one of several residents who said they were deeply aggrieved by the deaths after a chaotic demonstration Monday in Tak Bai, Narathiwat province.
The government says six people were shot dead at the scene and another 78 were crushed to death or suffocated after they were arrested and crammed onto military transport trucks. Three others were found drowned in a river near the protest site, the foreign ministry said.
"The treatment of demonstrators in Tak Bai hurt Muslim people and abused the feelings of Muslims in the country and around the world," the man said, adding Thaksin's accusations that many protesters were on drugs at the time were "deeply insulting and abusive."
Other Muslims, who had gathered outside the offices of the Pattani Islamic Council, stressed that Thaksin's speech was laced with rhetoric and empty promises.
In his address, a tired-looking Thaksin promised to "treat the case transparently, straightforwardly, and insisted that the public must learn the truth about the incident.
"The government has no hidden agenda," Thaksin said.
"I will try my best to restore stability in the south as soon as possible."
The premier has faced strong criticism over the Tak Bai incident, particularly accusations that his soldiers used excessive force to quell the protest and in handling the detainees.
A Muslim official in Pattani, however, stressed that not all Muslims supported the demonstrators, whom police and military officials accused of violently attacking the Tak Bai police station.
"The prime minister has told us the truth," said the official who identified herself as Ya.
"We don't agree with the violence, because it tears us apart and makes our daily lives difficult."
Pattani's Buddhist vice governor, Sunthorn Rithipukdee, called Thaksin's speech "sensitive to the needs of people in the south."
Razalee Ado, an official from Kapho district, said he doubted whether Thaksin could curb the violence.
"It is very dangerous to come to my district," he said. "I go everywhere with armed volunteers."
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