Pallop Pinmanee

SOUTHERN COMMAND: Pallop moved for insubordination
Piyanart Srival
30 April 2004
The Nation (Thailand)

Chavalit says direct order not to storm mosque was deliberately disobeyed

A senior general in charge of southern security was transferred for insubordination, Deputy Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh said yesterday, although he respected the general for standing by his actions in Wednesday's violence.

'General Pallop Pinmanee, deputy director of the Internal Security Operations Command, was moved from the South to Bangkok after he disobeyed my direct order not to storm the Krue Se Mosque on Wednesday,' Chavalit said.

'In spite of his insubordination, I would like to praise Pallop as Thailand's General MacArthur.'

Chavalit likened his actions to US President Harry Truman's removal of General Douglas MacArthur for disobedience during the Korean War in the 1950s.

Pallop, responding to Chavalit's statement, said he had no choice but to storm the mosque to root out Muslim militants holed up inside after hundreds of onlookers started attacking his troops.

He claimed that he had full mandate to supervise the raid at Krue Se.

He also denied speculation that he might face dismissal, saying only Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra could fire him.

Responding to criticism of excessive force against the young Muslims, Chavalit said security forces had acted in self-defence.

'The perpetrators charged at soldiers and policemen, shooting and stabbing them. Under the circumstances it is reasonable for troops to try and defend themselves,' he said.

He said the attackers were all adults, some of them armed with AK-47 and M-16 assault rifles, shotguns, pistols and grenades.

The deputy prime minister added that security forces would carry out tactical operations aimed at rooting out more young militants.

He admitted that the separatist movement, the illegal drug trade and local groups had together fomented Muslim militancy in the three southernmost provinces.

'I am very concerned about Muslim extremism. I expect a long ideological struggle in order to bring back misguided Muslims,' he said.

Chavalit also said Wednesday's clashes served as a lesson for security authorities to always stay vigilant against terrorism.

In an attempt to justify the Krue Se shoot-out, Maj-General Thanee Thawitsri, deputy commissioner of Provincial Police Region 9, said security forces had stormed the mosque in order to quickly end the stand-off.

'The perpetrators refused to surrender and shot dead a policemen after tear gas had been fired into the mosque,' he said. 'Tensions escalated as Muslim onlookers started chanting in support of the perpetrators.'

With regard to the killing of 19 Muslims who were members of a village football team in Songkhla, he said the young men might have been using football as a pretext for physical training before committing terrorist acts.

Justice Minister Pongthep Thepkanchana said security forces had observed rules of engagement when defending themselves and repelling the young militants.

He refused to comment any further, saying he had been in Bangkok when the clashes occurred.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra refused to answer questions relating to the clashes.