Thai DPM:Government can cope with terrorists

BANGKOK, February 2 (TNA) - Deputy Prime Minister Police Captain Chalerm Yubumrung insisted Thursday that the Thai government has its procedures to cope with terrorists and their human rights are protected. In response to an inquiry of a Bhumjaithai Party list MP Supachai Jaisamut at a House session about the prosecution of a recently arrested terrorist suspect of the Hezbollah militant group and measures to block international terrorists from entering Thailand to improve the national image, Police Captain Chalerm acknowledged that the arrested suspect has been detained pending prosecution by Thai authorities but another terrorist suspect has remained at large, and that the Thai government has been working with the Interpol to watch out for international terrorists. The deputy premier confirmed that the Thai government has clear procedures to handle terrorists and people can be confident of the government’s capability of coping with terrorism, noting that, in principle, the government is to prevent Thailand from having any direct conflict with any terrorist group, and that eight nations have already cancelled their travel advisories against Thailand but 13 others have not. Regarding a recent violence in Nongjik District of Thailand's insurgency-plagued southernmost Pattani Province involving paramilitary rangers’ gun attack killing four villagers and injuring some others, Thai Defence Minister Air Chief Marshal Sukumpol Suwanatat told the House session that the government has offered initial compensation to the affected villagers, promising that the families of all the dead villagers would receive 7.5 million baht in compensation each if rangers were found guilty. (TNA)