Stand-off over arrest of cleric
More than 100 Muslim villagers, mostly women and children, held a stand-off with authorities for nearly three hours yesterday morning, demanding that officials release a detained religious teacher.
About 100 police yesterday raided a village in Yarang district of Pattani at 5am and arrested Matohae Moona, 29, at the house of religious teacher, Bueraheng Tayae. While police detained Bueraheng and prepared to bring him to the police station for further interrogation, more than 100 villagers, mostly women and children, surrounded the officials and demanded that they release Bueraheng. Maelan Police Superintendent Colonel Surasak Sriklai said that while officials were calling for additional forces, some villagers blockaded the entrance to the village by laying down road spikes, metal pipes and tree limbs. "We tried to ask for assistance from the village headman, the tambon headman and the village Imam to help negotiate, but the villagers insisted that officials could not take Bueraheng out of the village," said Surasak. After three hours of a tense stand-off, officials agreed to release Bueraheng and only took Matohae away for questioning.
The Nation PATTANI
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