A human rights activist in Thailand’s restive Deep South has denied rumours that he is a member of an insurgent group in the region.

Wifa-e Molor, 31, a human rights activist based in the Deep South province of Pattani, on Tuesday, 9 February 2016, spoke to the local Wartani News, to reject a rumour that he is a member of an insurgent group affiliated with Abdullayib Dolah, 42, a suspect in the assassination of a Muslim cleric in Pattani.  Abdullayib died in custody in mysterious circumstances on 4 December 2015.

Earlier, the rumour of Wifa-e’s involvement with insurgent operations was shared on social media. The rumour has it that he was working for the logistics unit of an insurgent group, procuring and distributing weapons for their militants. It also names four other individuals as suspects.  

Prachatai has not been able to verify the original source of the rumour.

Wifa-e said that the rumour has severely tainted his image as a human rights activist in the region, adding that he was one of the local activists who called for an investigation into the death in custody of Abdullayib.  

“To call for justice, I will consult with the Muslim Attorney Centre in Pattani and will file a complaint and press charges against the source of the rumour,” said the activist.

In the past, Wifa-e worked with Angkhana Neelapaijit, the current member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) as a working committee member to promote peace in the restive Deep South.

He is also a founding member of the People’s College in the region and used to work as a radio host on Media Selatan, a local radio operator awarded for its role in promoting peace, which, like other community radio operators nationwide, was forced to shut down by the junta after the 2014 coup d’état.

Wifa-e Molor, 31, a human rights activist based in the Deep South province of Pattani (photograph courtesy of Wartani)