Academic: Govt should disclose role in ceasefire in deep South announcement

BANGKOK, July 18 (TNA) -- Expressing doubt over Thursday's so-called 'ceasefire' announcement for Thailand's southernmost provinces by two men claiming to be insurgent leaders, a southern university professor has urged the government and security authorities to say clearly whether or not they had any role in the matter.
Associate professor Chidchanok Rahimmula, a political science lecturer at Prince of Songkla University in Pattani, said the more over four years of violence in the deep South is a "national problem" and is too large for a particular group to handle.
"If the ceasefire is genuine, the people will benefit," she said. "Losses and severe violence could be stopped."
Dr. Chidcjhanok said she did not recognize the men, and that it was "most unlikely" that they were empowered to represent the many groups of insurgents operating in the South.
On Thursday, three men dubbing themselves the Thailand United Southern Underground group representing 11 insurgent organisations announced via a satellite television broadcast that they had agreed a ceasefire beginning July 14.
The ceasefire was said to be negotiated between the unknown insurgent group with retired Army Gen. Chetta Thanajaro, leader of the Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana political party, whose credentials regarding a role in any negotiations have yet to be established.
It has since been determined that one of the trio was identified as 57-year-old Mareepeng Khan or Areepeng Khan, a native of Yarang district of Pattani, an elder brother of a former deputy secretary-general of the Pattani United Liberation Organisation (PULO).
Sources said that Mr. Mareepeng had negotiated with Thai officials in Egypt in 1993 and in Syria a year later, but both talks failed to make headway.
To date, some 3,500 people have been killed since renewed violence broke out in restive southern provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.