Plan to pay civilians who shoot rebels

Fears it may inspire extra-judicial killing

BANGKOK POST and ISSARA NEWS CENTRE
The governor of Pattani wants to offer cash rewards of 50,000-100,000 baht to civilians who kill or injure insurgents in gun fights. He says rewards would give people an incentive to fight back, but academics and law experts argue it would just encourage more extra-judicial killing. Do ya' think?

However, caretaker Justice Minister Chidchai Wannasathit and army chief Sonthi Boonyaratglin appeared to second the idea yesterday.

Pattani governor Panu Uthairat said his proposal was a security measure aimed at protecting the lives of innocent people in the province. ''In some cases, people want to retaliate. Some have fired warning shots into the sky. Others clashed with insurgents who were killed or wounded in the process,'' he said.''Some wounded insurgents were caught. In the past, we handed out 5,000 to 10,000 baht in cash to civilians to boost their morale so they will fight back in self-defence,'' he said.

A source said civilians would be given 50,000 baht each if their return fire hit any insurgents, leading to their capture. The amount would double if the insurgents were killed.

Mr Panu said the authorities could not provide security for people around the clock. People should learn to protect themselves. They should be permitted to carry guns but only use them in self-defence, he said.

Legal experts questioned the Pattani governor's authority to offer a cash reward. Outgoing Bangkok Senator Sak Kosaengruang, formerly president of the Lawyers Council, said the idea was dangerous and unlawful.

If the reward was offered to police, it would lead to extra-judicial killing by unscrupulous officers, he warned.

Mr Sak said the governor should tell people how he had conceived the idea and where he would find the money to pay the rewards.

''What I want to know is whether the Southern Border Peace-building Command is aware of this policy,'' Mr Sak said. The command is in charge of security administration in the deep South.

Pol Gen Chidchai, also a deputy prime minister, downplayed fears a reward-system would give rise to extra-judicial killings. He promised to consider both sides of the proposal.

Gen Sonthi said the reward offer was a strategy by the governor to stimulate people to be extra careful. People should trust the government's judgment in tailoring anti-insurgent strategies to the region.

Two soldiers were shot dead in Yala's Bannang Sata district yesterday. Sgt-Maj Charaewat Khamnoei and Pvt Mongkol Prasuk were ambushed while providing motorcycle escort for teachers. Assailants fired shots at them shortly after a bomb blast.

Caretaker Interior Minister Kongsak Wantana said the government would carefully study all aspects of the National Reconciliation Commission's proposal that the Yawi dialect should be introduced as the second official language in the deep South.