Pallop Pinmanee

VIOLENCE IN THE SOUTH - SUCHINDA REPORT AFTERMATH; Panlop resigns, insists he was right
5 August 2004
Bangkok Post

Inquiry panel poorly informed civilians

WASSANA NANUAM

Gen Panlop Pinmanee has resigned as deputy chief of the Southern Border Provinces Peace-building Command (SBPPBC) in the wake of a report criticising the security forces' leadership over the April 28 assault on Krue Se Mosque.

An independent inquiry panel has concluded that government forces used excessive force against Muslim militants who hid in the famed mosque in Pattani's Muang district.

The general tendered his resignation yesterday in a letter to Deputy Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, the SBPPBC director. He will continue to serve as deputy director of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc).

On April 28, more than 200 militants launched simultaneous attacks on 11 military and police posts in Pattani, Yala and Songkhla provinces. Some of them later fled into Krue Se Mosque.

Gen Panlop ordered special warfare soldiers to storm the mosque in an attack which included the use of hand grenades. All 32 militants inside, armed mainly with knives, were killed.

Gen Panlop yesterday insisted he had made the right decision in ordering the assault on the mosque. The inquiry panel, chaired by Suchinda Yongsunthorn, comprised mainly civilians who knew little about military tactics, he said.

The panel's conclusion that the security forces had overreacted was based on its opinion that the militants were poorly armed. In fact, the militants inside the mosque possessed firearms and a large number of knives, Gen Panlop said.

Martial law had also been declared.

Military sources earlier said the militants had two M16 rifles, two handguns and two M203 rifles modified to fire either M16 rifle ammunition or M79 grenades.

The Suchinda panel, however, said the militants were mostly armed with knives and had only one gun.

Gen Panlop said the militants, after attacking a police outpost near the mosque, could easily have fled into a jungle about 200m away. Instead they entered the mosque where they had plenty of food and water -- an indication they had prepared for a long siege.

The soldiers had waited nine hours, from 5am to 2pm, before storming the mosque, after all negotiations and psychological approaches failed, he said.

During the stand-off the soldiers fired eight tear gas grenades, but the rounds failed to penetrate the mosque's roof netting and window grilles.

Gen Panlop said he ordered the troops to attack because he believed time was running out, as the number of people gathering around the mosque had swelled beyond 1,000.

The general also defended the troops who hurled eight hand grenades into the interior of the mosque as they charged inside, saying that was a normal military tactic. The soldiers had to take quick and decisive action to keep casualties on their side as low as possible.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said yesterday the Suchinda panel's conclusion made public was only the first part of its report. The rest would be released later.