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Published on December 20, 2007

Military officials arrested Atip Sohgo, secretary of Thai Muslim Student Network, on Tuesday in Narathiwat's Sungai Padi district.

The authorities accused him of manipulating the student's five-day protest in Pattani's Central Mosque between May 31 and June 4 this year.

The SFT demanded the officials give a clear explanation to the public and his relatives about the evidence used to charge him since the protest was peaceful and not against the law.

"The authorities should conduct the case with transparency and avoid illegal treatment such as torture," the SFT statement said. "Unless the authorities have solid evidence to charge Atip, the SFT demands they release him immediately, otherwise we will call a protest rally."

Officials believed Atip, who was a Ramkhamhaeng Univer-sity student, was a key figure who manipulated Muslim student movements in the south and might be involved in many violent cases. The SFT disagreed.

Separately, a group of 30 armed officials raided a village in Narathiwat's Rusoh district, arresting Kabira Marusoh, a 22 year-old Muslim in connection with an explosion at a retail shop on Tuesday night. Kabira confessed that he, and Bubaloh Loma, who is still on the run, bombed the shop, police said.

Meanwhile, a bomb went off at a food shop in Pattani's Nongchik district injuring four police officers having breakfast at about 8am yesterday. The bomb, hidden in a motorbike left in front of the shop, was detonated by remote control.

Supalak G Khundee

 The Nation