Isoc defends decision to take action against students behind mock Patani state poll

Maj-General Pramote Prom-in on Tuesday defended Isoc’s decision to take legal action against five student activists from the Prince of Songkla University’s Pattani campus. Pramote is the deputy commander of Army Area 4 and deputy director of Isoc’s Area 4 Forward Command.

On June 7, five students who are members of the Pelajar Gangsa or the “National Student Movement” held a mock referendum on the deep South separating from Thailand. This so-called referendum was held during an academic seminar.

On Tuesday, Pramote met with officials of Isoc’s Area 4 Forward Command and other agencies to follow up on investigations into the case.

On Friday (June 23), the Area 4 Forward Command sent Army officers to file a complaint at Pattani’s main police station against five people for allegedly violating internal security, the Constitution, the Criminal Code and the Computer Crime Act.

Sources said the five suspects named in the complaint included a politician, a student activist and a civic group leader.

After the meeting on Tuesday, Pramote told the press that the first complaint was only filed after Army officers spent two weeks gathering evidence.

He added that the Area 4 Forward Command had realised that public sentiment was sympathetic towards the student movement. Critics, meanwhile, have called on the Army to withdraw the complaint, saying the mock referendum was only held as part of a seminar.

Pramote, however, said Area 4 Forward Command was required by law to carry out its duty in seeking legal action.

He also said the Area 4 Forward Command will further investigate to see if the five suspects were part of Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) or other separatist movements in the deep South.

Patani state was formerly a sultanate in the Malay peninsula and covered the provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat, Yala and four districts of Songkhla. BRN-led insurgent groups have been stepping up terror campaigns to demand the autonomy and revival of the ancient Patani state.

Separately, two leaders of Pelagar Gangsa have said there were no political motives behind the so-called referendum. They said it was only held to gauge the opinions of people in the deep South with the aim of ending the decades-long violence.