Self-rule idea called ‘dangerous’

Published on November 14, 2005 - Deputy security chief says NRC’s proposal could divide Kingdom

A senior security official yesterday opposed the idea of a peace commission to study forms of “self-rule” for the restive deep South, saying that it would be yielding to insurgents’ demands.

General Pallop Pinmanee, deputy director of Internal Security Operations Command, said the idea was dangerous because it might lead to two administrative centres.

“If we allowed them to combine the three southernmost provinces into a self-ruling unit and hand it to local people to govern, we would have two capitals,” he said.

“The Kingdom should not have two capitals and the government should not accept this idea,” Pallop said.

The government-sponsored National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) has assigned four leading universities to conduct research into possible reform of the local government in the three violence-wracked provinces.

NRC secretary-general Gothom Arya had said earlier that Chulalongkorn University was working on a study titled “Democracy and Ethnic Diversity” while Thammasat, Mahidol and Prince of Songkhla universities were conducting surveys among residents of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.

Both schemes are consistent with the intent of Article 78 of the Constitution, which stipulates that the state has the duty to develop all provincial communities and build necessary infrastructure and utilities for the well-being of all residents, he said.

When a provincial community is ready, its local government may be reformed with the consent of local residents, he added.

Pallop disagreed with any idea to form a new administrative body for the deep South, saying that existing local bodies such as tambon administrative organisations and provincial administrative organisations, which are the same is in all other provinces in the country, were already sufficient.

Special local administrative structures such as in Bangkok and Pattaya do not suit the predominantly Muslim region, he said.

However, Chulalongkorn University academic Panitan Wattanayagorn said the existing bodies could not mobilise adequate participation from local Muslims and the government needed a new administrative structure to handle this unique region.

“But we should consider the issue with special care as it’s very sensitive in regard to national sovereignty,” he said. “If we do create a new administrative form, we should make sure it’s fair to all.”

Panitan suggested holding public hearings to get the opinions of Muslim citizens throughout the country, not just in the seep South.

Two southern provinces, Songkhla and Satun, should also be asked if they wanted the new administrative form or to have their own set-up, he said.