| A Thai general who was moved out of the largely Muslim south after his troops stormed a mosque during an uprising in April will be sent back to the region, Deputy Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh says. Chavalit said General Pallop Pinmanee, accused by government-appointed investigators of using excessive force, would head the southern border province development board. Pallop appeared to show no remorse on Tuesday for storming the mosque on a day when more than 100 Muslims were killed in an uprising in the largely Malay-speaking south that no one has explained adequately. "We can't act like a wimp," said Pallop, who has admitted ignoring Chavalit's orders to end the mosque confrontation peacefully but has faced no disciplinary action apart from being pulled out of the south. "This is urban guerrilla warfare," Pallop told Reuters. "We have to resort to all means to bring peace to the region quickly. We have to search, destroy and reconstruct the region." Pallop will be based in Pattani province, home of the historic Krue Se mosque his men stormed. "Unity among agencies is the most crucial part now, so I've appointed him to help me in my work," said Chavalit, who is responsible for national security. "The violence is worse than ever" and had reached a "critical" stage, Chavalit said. Insurgents have ambushed officials, police and soldiers from the pillions of motorcyles and the army said on Tuesday it would search every motorcycle carrying a male passenger in a bid to halt such attacks. "If honest citizens feel inconvenienced by our searches, please condemn those villains who have wreaked havoc on our people," the army said in a statement. |