Army closes schools to hunt for militants

The Army said religious schools were breeding grounds for insurgents. The campaign against militants started with the closing of Islam Burapha, where religious teachers and students were arrested last week and a num¬ber of weapons confiscated.

Narathiwat first educationregion director Pairat Seangthong said 40 schools in Rusoh and 19 in Si Sakhon agreed to shut, to allow securi¬ty officials to hunt for militants.

The authorities have detained more than 300 sus¬pects in recent weeks. All Islamic schools in the region remain under surveillance.

Southern Provinces Islamic Private Schools Association sec¬retary Abdulrohni Kahama said representatives met with more than 200 members and advised them not to "distort the cur¬riculum for the purpose of the insurgency".

Schools will register teachers in a bid to prevent militants infiltrating classes, he said. The government is strug¬gling to contain violence in the deep South that erupted at the start of 2004. More than 2,300 people have been killed since then.

Meanwhile, the First Army Region warned Metropolitan Police that militants from the deep South could enter the cap¬ital and create disturbances.

Metropolitan Police com¬mander LtGeneral Adisorn Nonsee confirmed the warning and said the force was on alert. However, Special Branch com¬mander LtGeneral Rapeepat Palavong said it had not received the news and intelli¬gence suggested no such threat.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont flies to the deep South today for a twoday inspection trip. He will stay overnight at Bang Lang Dam and meet with local officials.

The Nation