THAI INSURGENTS ABUSING HUMAN RIGHTS: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

BANGKOK, April 2 (Bernama) -- Amnesty International Thursday called for an
immediate end to attacks against civilians by armed insurgents in the restive
Southern Thai Muslim-majority provinces which saw a sharp spike recently.

AI said in a statement Thursday that the insurgents directed some of their
attacks at Thai security forces, and others at civilians they deem to be
cooperating or collaborating with the authorities.

"They also carry out indiscriminate attacks that result in deaths and
injuries to civilians. These attacks on civilians are unlawful and
unacceptable," it said.

According to AI, after the number of violent incidents and casualties in the
south dropped significantly in 2008, insurgents were clearly attempting to
reassert themselves in 2009, as attacks in 2009 had been notable for their
brutality, including at least five confirmed beheadings.

"The fact that civilians are being deliberately targeted on a regular basis
demonstrates that insurgents in southern Thailand have failed to abide by the
most basic principles of humanity," it said.

More than 3,500 people have died since separatist groups resumed their armed
campaign in January, 2004, to seek independence for the Muslim-majority
provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala which were annexed by Thailand a
century ago.

Amnesty said insurgents should respect minimum standards of humanity
reflected in international humanitarian law, including the prohibition against
direct attacks on civilians and indiscriminate attacks, and the requirement to
treat humanely those who have been captured.

It cited several murders in the first three months of this year, including
the killing of a former Islamic religious teacher, a human rights defender, a
teacher and two rubber tappers.

Amnesty said that while it fully recognised that the Thai government had a
right and a duty to protect civilians in the south as it wages its
counter-insurgency campaign, the authorities needed to amend Section 14 of the
Emergency Decree, which confers immunity from prosecution on officials for human
rights violations, including torture.

Despite a December 2008 decision in the post-mortem inquest into the death
in custody case of imam Yapha Kaseng that he was tortured to death, the
government had yet to initiate a prosecution against the alleged perpetrators,
said Amnesty.
-- BERNAMA