On Jan 27, operating under Martial Law, Special Forces Unit 11 searched a dormitory and arrested 7 students of Rajabhat University and the Physical Science Institute in Yala, when they were about to join a football game.
The students include Kuyi Etae, Amisi Manak, Abdullah Doloh, Hasmadi Pradu, Hasman Jaeyoh, Ishmael Tae, and Ahama Bodong.
The plainclothes military troops seized a desktop computer, a notebook computer, 7 mobile phones, and one camera, and took the students to their military base for interrogation, alleging their involvement with the insurgency.
The students are currently detained at the Ingkayuthboriharn military base in Pattani.
The Students Federation of Thailand, national network of political activist students, said that these students had been active in organizing activities concerning the violence in the southern border provinces for over 4 years, including legal training for local people, with the latest one on Jan 8-21, and that this was possibly the reason for the arrests.
Their fellow activist students consulted Adilan Alee-ishoh of Yala's Muslim Lawyers Centre following the arrest, anxious to know their whereabouts and worried that their friends might be tortured.
Directives issued by 4th Army Region Commander Lt Gen Wiroj Buacharoon deny visits to detainees during the first 3 days after an arrest, deny their rights to see lawyers before charges have been made, and forbid detention in prisons or police stations.
"[I] have talked to the Special Forces Unit 11 Commander, asking about their whereabouts. The commander said the students were sent to Ingkayuthboriharn camp, and assured me that they were following the law, and no harm would be done to them," Adilan said.
Adilan said that prior to the arrest one of the students received a phone call from a man who was an older friend and had frequently visited them at the dormitory, but had disappeared. The student walked out of the dorm, talking to the man on the phone. The man asked where they all were at the moment, and the student told him they were all at the dorm. Shortly afterwards, they got arrested, except the student who had received the phone call and had gone out. After the arrest, the man could not be reached on the phone. It is believed that the man had been arrested, and was forced to make the call.
The arrested students had cooperated with the Yala's Muslim Lawyers Centre on organizing training for local people on Martial Law, the emergency situation and the internal security laws.
Two more Yala students arrested
Yala Students Confederation Secretary-General Romsi Doko said that on the evening of Jan 28 plainclothes troops from Unit 11 searched Sobri Kaso's room, but Sobri was not present. The soldiers instead questioned and took photos of his friends including Adilan Jaeuseng, Arofat Sa-a, and Malipeng Pud.
Later, it was found that Sobri and Abdulasis Arong, both students of the Science Faculty of Yala Rajabhat University, were detained by Special Forces Military Unit 11. 3 months earlier, Abdulasis was arrested under Martial Law and the emergency law. Both were reportedly beaten up by the military.
9 students arrested under Martial Law in Yala
On Jan 27, operating under Martial Law, Special Forces Unit 11 searched a dormitory and arrested 7 students of Rajabhat University and the Physical Science Institute in Yala, when they were about to join a football game.
The students include Kuyi Etae, Amisi Manak, Abdullah Doloh, Hasmadi Pradu, Hasman Jaeyoh, Ishmael Tae, and Ahama Bodong.
The plainclothes military troops seized a desktop computer, a notebook computer, 7 mobile phones, and one camera, and took the students to their military base for interrogation, alleging their involvement with the insurgency.
The students are currently detained at the Ingkayuthboriharn military base in Pattani.
The Students Federation of Thailand, national network of political activist students, said that these students had been active in organizing activities concerning the violence in the southern border provinces for over 4 years, including legal training for local people, with the latest one on Jan 8-21, and that this was possibly the reason for the arrests.
Their fellow activist students consulted Adilan Alee-ishoh of Yala's Muslim Lawyers Centre following the arrest, anxious to know their whereabouts and worried that their friends might be tortured.
Directives issued by 4th Army Region Commander Lt Gen Wiroj Buacharoon deny visits to detainees during the first 3 days after an arrest, deny their rights to see lawyers before charges have been made, and forbid detention in prisons or police stations.
"[I] have talked to the Special Forces Unit 11 Commander, asking about their whereabouts. The commander said the students were sent to Ingkayuthboriharn camp, and assured me that they were following the law, and no harm would be done to them," Adilan said.
Adilan said that prior to the arrest one of the students received a phone call from a man who was an older friend and had frequently visited them at the dormitory, but had disappeared. The student walked out of the dorm, talking to the man on the phone. The man asked where they all were at the moment, and the student told him they were all at the dorm. Shortly afterwards, they got arrested, except the student who had received the phone call and had gone out. After the arrest, the man could not be reached on the phone. It is believed that the man had been arrested, and was forced to make the call.
The arrested students had cooperated with the Yala's Muslim Lawyers Centre on organizing training for local people on Martial Law, the emergency situation and the internal security laws.
Two more Yala students arrested
Yala Students Confederation Secretary-General Romsi Doko said that on the evening of Jan 28 plainclothes troops from Unit 11 searched Sobri Kaso's room, but Sobri was not present. The soldiers instead questioned and took photos of his friends including Adilan Jaeuseng, Arofat Sa-a, and Malipeng Pud.
Later, it was found that Sobri and Abdulasis Arong, both students of the Science Faculty of Yala Rajabhat University, were detained by Special Forces Military Unit 11. 3 months earlier, Abdulasis was arrested under Martial Law and the emergency law. Both were reportedly beaten up by the military.
Compiled and rewritten by Ponglert Pongwanan
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