Prayuth: Red villages could cause problems in South

Prayuth: Red villages could cause problems in South
Published: 16/05/2012 at 04:23 PM

Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha has warned that establishing red-shirt villages in the far South could cause more political problems, but he did not expect it would affect national security.


"The political sector, or any other sector, should take precautions  when working in the South as the area is not yet peaceful," Gen Prayuth said on Wednesday.

"If we bring more problems to the area, I can't say whether or not more violence might occur."

The expansion of red-shirt villages into different provinces would affect politics more than national security, he said.

The army had talked to the people and they had no problem with red-shirt villages, but the timing of establishing them must be taken into consideration because the country is now going through a democratic transition, he said.

"We must allow time to know what true democracy is, and to what extent. While we're learning there'll be losses and gains, but I ask everyone to think of our country, and things will gradually improve," the army commander-in-chief said.

Democrat Party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut on Wednesday again denied his party was linked to the torching of a roadside shelter at a newly established red-shirt village in Songkhla's Chana district on Tuesday morning.

He was responding to United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship chairwoman Tida Tawornseth's claim that a political party was behind the arson.

"The Democrat Party was not in any way involved in the arson because we do not have the proficiency to use fuel or fire in solving problems.

"Mrs Tida needs to understand why some people are against the red-shirts, and that it's not only her side that can resort to violence and use force against others, and that people are ready to fight and protect their rights," Mr Chavanond said.

The spokesman said his party did not want to see violence or the use of force, but the UDD should stop creating national division and conflict.

Pheu Thai list MP and UDD core member Korkaew Pikulthong said that a national level politician from the South whose name begins with the initial "S" was thought to be behind the torching of the roadside shelter.

Mr Korkaew said the fire was the work of local people who oppose the establishment of the red-shirt village.

These people were supported by a politician whose name begins with the initial "S" and who does not want red-shirt villages, whose aims were to combat drugs and oppose a coup, to be established in the area, he said.

Mr Korkaew admitted there was no evidence to prove his claim, but said his assumption was based on the fact that about 100 people closely watched the opening of the village on Monday.

On Democrat Party MP for Songkhla Sirichok Sopha's comment that the opening of red-shirt villages might have been funded by the government, Mr Korkaew said the Democrat Party should produce evidence to support the claim and then use it to take legal action.

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