Security loopholes endanger South

The arrest of three Army intelligence officers and seven policemen, all of them Muslim, for spying on behalf Islamic militants/Malay separatists opened a new front in the war against insurgents in the deep South. It remains to be seen how the initial investigation is going to pan out. How many more people in the rank and file of the armed forces, police and civil services will be implicated for allegedly committing such treasonous offences is unknown. The investigation into this serious crime must be thorough and just. This is a delicate matter that must be handled with great care and sensitivity. All charges levelled against each of these alleged traitors must be substantiated by hard and fast evidence. Investigators must ensure that no officers or government officials are subjected to undue suspicion or possible harassment on the basis of their religion or ethnicity.

To the people who are conducting the probe, it cannot be emphasised strongly enough that not all Thai Muslims or people of Malay descent should automatically become suspects. We need all the help we can get from locals in our fight against insurgents in the southernmost region.

All suspects must be guaranteed the right to the due process of law.

According to authorities, the three Army intelligence officers charged with spying, including a lieutenant-colonel, had been under surveillance for several months as investigators gathered the evidence that led to their arrests.

The first three suspects, who were arrested two weeks ago, implicated seven policemen, who were taken into custody yesterday. All of them are being questioned by military investigators.

The seven suspects together with an unspecified number of accomplices were charged with giving insurgents information on military manoeuvres and tactics, the locations of checkpoints, the rotation of forces and search operations.

Having such classified information at their disposal enabled insurgents to set up several roadside ambushes and bombing attacks that resulted in military casualties.

The discovery of enemy spies within the hierarchies of the military and police forces exposed an inability on the part of these forces to maintain a good system to secure and control access to sensitive information that could mean the success or failure of military missions and the difference between life and death for security forces on the ground.

This not only exposes the failure of armed forces and police personnel to properly conduct security clearances and to command the loyalty of their members, but it may also be a symptom of a deeper malaise. The discovery of turncoats among soldiers and police officers could also mean that the division between southern Thai Muslims and the rest of society is more serious than previously thought.

If it turns out that the insurgents had had prior knowledge of troop movements and military missions provided to them by the suspects, as the initial investigation indicates, then it provides some clue as to how insurgents have been so successful in inflicting a high casualty rate on security forces, while losing so little of their own.

Be that as it may, this investigation must not be turned into a witch-hunt. Extreme caution must be exercised in any attempt to separate the wheat from the chaff. It must be said that there are many loyal Thai Muslims who disagree with the hate-filled ideology of Islamic militants/Malay separatists and they are prepared to serve in security forces and cooperate with the authorities in the fight against the insurgents.

These people should not be prevented from serving the country and from protecting it from its enemies simply because some of their own have been caught betraying the country.

This should serve as a valuable lesson for the military, police and security agencies now working in the South and encourage them to stay vigilant and alert about the possibility of intelligence leaks, while continuing to work alongside loyal Thai Muslims to try to win peace in this strife-torn region.

Without the support of local people, and without the help of locally recruited Muslims who know the language, local customs and terrain, the fight against the insurgency cannot be won.

The Nation