Angkhana Neelaphaijit, chair of the Working Group on Justice for Peace, said that her group was concerned that the 4^th Army had brought about 600 suspects allegedly involved in the southern unrest for vocational training for another 4 months in military camps in Ranong, Chumphon, and Surat Thani after exceeding the 30-day detention limit allowed under the Executive Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations B.E.2548 (2005).

The relevant state agencies have failed to inform the detainee's relatives and community members or explain the situation. The Army's action lack transparency, and may go against the rule of law and humanity. The detention exceeds the limit permitted by the law. And there is no remedy for the social, psychological, and economic impact on the detainee's families and communities, she said.

The working group found that detainees would receive vocational training in motorcycle repair, hairdressing, etc., while most of their families own rubber plantations, or they already have regular careers. When they finish the training, what if they cannot find work at home that uses these skills, and what about those who are already married? There is no clear answer to such questions, the group said.

And this year's Ramadan will fall in September. Why not let them go home? Angkana asked. The relatives have to bear the expensive costs of travelling to visit them, as the camps are far from their homes. During the 4-month training period, the trainees will not be permitted to visit home. The state provides no remedy for this.

According to some trainees and relatives, they were forced against their will to take the training. There are also among them 5-6 youths who are 13-15 years old, who should have a proper education, but have to stay with adults. The trainees receive a daily allowance of 100 baht, but have no freedom. This is like a detention camp, instead of a vocational training camp, said Angkhana.

She believes that this is a pilot project in anticipation of the internal security act, which, when passed, will allow the authorities to hold them for another 6 months. So she wants the government to explain its true intentions.

Although the trainees are alleged to have committed crimes because, according to the authorities, soot was found on their bodies and clothes, or they have confessed, the court has yet to find them guilty. So is it a violation of their rights to send them to the camps. The Criminal Code must be followed: that is, if evidence is not found, they must be released immediately to their families, said Angkhana.

She believes many of those who were allegedly found to have soot or explosive substances on their bodies are innocent; they might have been in the vicinity of a bombing and contaminated with dust. She said according to experts dust or soot can stay on the body and clothes for two years.

She said that the devices to detect explosive, which the military use to identify suspects are ‘over-sensitive' as pregnant women and dirty, mentally retarded persons also gave positive results, despite the authorities' high level of confidence in these devices. The locals are beginning to distrust the authorities, and that could again lead to severe conflict between them.

In order to follow up on the situation and seek solutions, the Working Group on Justice for Peace will hold a public forum with all parties concerned on the vocational training programme and its impact on human rights, communities and the rule of law, at the Islamic Study College, Prince of Songkhla University's Pattani Campus.

Translated by Ponglert Pongwanan