Relatives of detainees in occupational training camps in the South will file a complaint with the provincial courts of Ranong, Chumphon, and Surat Thani claiming illegal detention and ask the courts to order their immediate release.

There are 66 detainees in Ranong's Rattanarangsan military camp, 158 in Chumphon's Udomsak camp, and 79 in Surat Thani's Vipavadee Rangsit camp; 203 in total. The detainees have asked the authorities to let them return to their homes in the three southernmost provinces, but the military units that detain them and provide occupational training refuse to grant them permission.

Since the military launched their new campaign on June 18, 2007, hundreds of suspects in the southern unrest have been rounded up. They are arrested and detained for 7 days under martial law, and then for another 30 days under the Emergency Situation Act in Inkayutttaborihan military camp in Pattani. They have complained that the authorities are not authorized to detain them further, but forced them to take occupational training for 4 months. The authorities threaten that if the detainees refuse the training, they would be prosecuted without bail, and have no right to consult lawyers. If they return home, they would not be safe. They were also forced to sign papers declaring that they volunteered to receive the training.

In late August, groups of lawyers, NGOs, and volunteers met with the relatives and found that the arrests and detention did not follow the rule of law, and contravene both national laws and international human rights laws.

On Aug 7, 2007, the National Human Rights Commission released a statement demanding that 4-month occupational training after the 37 days detention must be on a voluntary basis, and the training places must be near the detainees' homes. The Commission also urged the authorities to acquire clear evidence before putting suspects under detention, and compensate the innocent.

Translated by Ponglert Pongwanan