A spate of violence in the deep South has returned -- with a vengeance.
Soldiers in Pattani province were ambushed yesterday. The sudden attack follows a coordinated series of bombings on Monday morning when 10 armed assailants raided a biomass power plant after midnight in the same province.
They planted bombs -- three of which have since exploded -- and a few hours later another bomb was detonated right in front of Ban Pulai School in Raman district of Yala province, injuring two policemen who were on duty providing security for teachers and students.
Late last month in Pattani province, a policeman was shot, with his wife killed during the attack as she was holding their newborn baby. Fortunately, their two children survived unscathed.
For those who follow the violence in the region, the latest spate of attacks was predictable given they preceded peace talks called between the government and Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), an armed separatist group fighting for the independence of the southernmost provinces. The new round of peace talks is due to resume next week.
It is clear these indiscriminate and cold-blooded attacks are a strategic move to force security personnel to retaliate with equal measures. The government must not walk into that trap. The authorities, especially the security apparatus, must be patient and steadfast in using peaceful measures to counter the violence in the deep South.
In this respect, the government of PM Anutin Charnvirakul is seemingly moving in the right direction by launching a special government committee to resolve the unrest, with Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow as leader and politician Wan Muhamad Noor Matha as adviser.
Mr Anutin also has also picked former head of National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Thanut Suvarnananda to head the negotiation team. Mr Thanut is the second civilian to assume this role, following National Security Council secretary-general Chatchai Bangchuad who was appointed late last year.
Usually, the top brass from the army would lead peace talks with the BRN. So this move is considered dovish.
Last weekend Mr Thanut met over 40 NGOs in Pattani and promised the government would focus on reducing violence, respecting human rights and reconciliation. The question is how can the government win the hearts of local communities in the region?
Its heavy-handed policies, such as the bloody crackdowns at Krue Sae and Tak Bai in 2004, as well a general lack of transparency, have done the opposite.
Law enforcers must show this administration is trustworthy. The government and security apparatus must stamp out smuggling and promote human rights and show that law enforcers are professional.
To start with, the police must handle the investigation into the attack against the Southern Islamic MP Kamolsak Liwamoh with professionalism, fairness and impartiality. This controversial case risks corroding the government's plan to win the hearts of local communities. Most of the suspects are former or current navy staff while some of the weaponry and the vehicle used by the gunmen belongs to the state.
Without transparency, the government will lose the war in the deep South of its own accord.
