The government plans to revoke arrest warrants for suspected insurgents in the deep South as part of its latest strategy aimed at making peace in the region.
Three policemen and two innocent passers-by were injured in this bomb attack on a patrolling vehicle on the Ban Niang-Ban Yala road in tambon Lidol of Muang district in Yala at 10.40am Thursday. (Photo by Muhammad Ayub Pathan)
The plan was discussed during a meeting of security agencies shortly after a series of bomb blasts rocked Pattani and Yala yesterday morning.
Three bombings were reported in downtown Pattani between 4.40am and 7.30am.
The first bomb, 5 kilogrammes of explosive contained in a steel box, went off in front of Diana Department Store on Na Klua Road in Muang Pattani municipality.
The second bomb, in a gas cylinder, was placed in front of a Toyota showroom about 20 metres away from the first location.
The bombs damaged buildings and vehicles spread over a 50m radius. No injuries were reported as the area had been evacuated after the first explosion.
The third bomb went off by the Pattani-Narathiwat road near the entrance of Yaring Kindergarten in Yaring district about 7.30am.
The bomb was detonated as a police truck passed by, but no one was injured.
In Yala, three policemen and two villagers were injured by a bomb buried under the Ban Niang-Ban Yala road in Muang district about 10.40am.
The bomb went off while the officers were travelling in a police truck. The injured villagers had been travelling in a pickup truck and on a motorcycle.
National Security Council (NSC) secretary-general Paradorn Pattanatabut said the bombs aimed to damage public property rather than kill people.
He suspected separatists were responsible for the attacks.
Lt Gen Paradorn said Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who chaired yesterday's security meeting, had told officers to beef up security operations during the start of the new school semester next week.
The meeting also discussed revoking arrest warrants as part of the government's attempt to placate communities in the deep South.
Residents have complained that some of the arrest warrants were unfair, he said.
Officials have reviewed information and have decided to revoke a number of warrants as a way to ensure justice.
Lt Gen Paradorn did not say how many warrants would be revoked, but suggested there would be several.
The governors of the southern border provinces and officials of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre are considering areas where authorities should revoke the executive decree on public administration in emergency situations, Lt Gen Paradorn said.
They are discussing the matter with the Internal Security Operations Command, he added.
The imposition of the emergency decree would end in some districts of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, he said.
The meeting yesterday did not discuss Gen Yutthasak Sasiprapa's proposal for the government to form sub-negotiation meetings with local insurgency movements beyond the Barisan Revolusi Nasional.
Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung, who heads the government's southern command centre, said Gen Yutthasak _ an adviser to the prime minister _ is experienced and his proposal should be considered.
Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva also supported Gen Yutthasak's idea.
Mr Abhisit said small negotiating delegations could help the peace process.
