Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Sunday expressed condolences to the family of the late southern separatist movement leader, Sapae-ing Basor, who died on Tuesday in Malaysia’s Terengganu state.
In a move seen as a surprise gesture, Gen Prayut also ordered the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) Region 4 and the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC) to help facilitate the return of Sapae-ing’s body to his family. A religious rite will be held without the presence of his body at Thamavitya Mulniti school, where he was a former principal, in Yala’s Muang district on Monday at 9am.
Gen Sakol Chuentrakul, an adviser to the prime minister, said Gen Prayut had been made aware of the death of the leader of Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) Coordinate, the main insurgent group operating in the insurgency-plagued South. The prime minister conveyed his condolences and moral support to the family of the 81-year-old, Gen Sako said.
Sapae-ing’s death was confirmed on Saturday by the family to Wartani, a media company based in the deep South. He died from a lung infection after being treated for diabetes and heart disease over the last three years, according to security sources.
A native of Yala's Yarang district, Sapae-ing was a principal and Islamic religious teacher, or ustaz, at Thamavitya Mulniti school, one of the most popular and biggest private Islamic schools in the deep South. He had many disciples and was well respected by residents.
Sapae-ing disappeared from his hometown and reportedly fled to Malaysia after dozens of militants raided a military camp in the province’s Cho Airong district on Jan 4, 2004, killing four officers and stealing more than 400 rifles, mostly M-16s, which marked the beginning of renewed violence in the deep South.
He was wanted on multiple security-related charges including treason and terrorism and had a 10-million-baht bounty placed on him for his suspected role as a mastermind of the Narathiwat army camp attack. The BRN head and spiritual leader was also rumoured to be in line for prime minister of Pattani State if the separatist movement was successful.
Arrest warrants were issued for him along with Masae Useng of Narathiwat, a fellow fugitive separatist leader who reportedly died of tuberculosis in a Malaysian hospital in May of last year. Masae was author of the infamous Seven Step Plan to use religion, ethnic membership and historical "theft" of Pattani to move into a Mao-like stage of full revolution against Bangkok.
A highly placed source in the army told Kom Chad Luek that Sapae-ing had been sick for a long time and his death would not have a significant impact on the BRN or the authorities’ peace talks with Mara Patani, an umbrella organisation of southern rebel groups.
The source said the southern insurgency would continue because Dunelor Wae-manor supervised the BRN’s armed wing, not Sapae-ing. A council known as the Dewan Penilian Party (DPP), which rules the BRN, may convene a meeting soon to find a new leader.