Thai army's post-coup actions in deep south hardening insurgency, observers say
Army's 'more aggressive' use of emergency powers to fight decade-old Muslim insurgency has angered residents and undercut peace bid
The decade-long conflict has claimed more than 6,100 lives across Thailand's lush, forested Muslim-majority southern provinces, where shadowy rebels are fighting for a level of autonomy from the Thai state.
Most of the victims are civilians caught up in the near-daily bombings, shootings - and occasional beheadings - that define a war largely ignored by Thais and forgotten by the wider world.
From a remote hamlet cocooned by fruit trees, Ri (not his real name), 23, says he was arrested on suspicion of planting one of a series of bombs that rocked Pattani, capital of the province of the same name.
"They took me to an [army] rangers' base. I told them I was innocent, but they still held me. I don't know why," the student said of his arrest in July.
The blasts, which occurred two days after the May 22 coup, killed several people and wounded scores more - appearing timed to remind the junta that new political realities in Bangkok had little bearing on the battle for the deep south.
The three southern provinces bordering Malaysia are under emergency powers allowing suspects to be held without charge for more than five weeks.
It took two days for Ri's father and brother to trace him, with the detainee denied phone calls.
"They kept asking me, 'Did you do it? Where were you when the bombs went off?'" the student said. Despite protesting his innocence, Ri was held for a further 10 days under an emergency decree before being released.
His family say no evidence was brought against him, nor was an apology or explanation for his detention offered.
The ordeal has left Ri scared and angry but also dismissive of a loudly trumpeted effort by the junta to forge peace.
"Prayuth says he wants peace," he said, referring to Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha - who is also the outgoing army chief. "But first they have to stop arresting us."
Despite tightening security, the junta insists it is focused on rebooting stalled peace talks.
Thailand's Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) said 78 people were arrested in the deep south between July 7 and August 28.
The figures omit the initial six weeks after the coup and do not reveal how many of those detained were subsequently released or charged.
Three people died in raids - including a 14-year-old boy mistakenly shot on August 20 by a paramilitary soldier, who is now facing charges after planting a handgun on the dead teenager to cover up the killing.
"Our security measures have been more aggressive in hunting for suspects," Isoc spokesman Colonel Pramote Promin said.
The result has been a further erosion of trust in the justice system and the sincerity of the Thai side to address local grievances, according to Anchana Heemmina, of advocacy group Duay Jai.
"No one believes in Prayuth and his peace talks … they will be held under the gun," she said.
"The recent experience of villagers is the opposite of peace, they have been harassed and arrested."
While exact numbers of the detained are hard to gather across remote communities stalked by fear, Anchana says false arrests are a "story that is told many times", hardening mistrust and acting as a recruiting tool for the rebels.
Several rounds of peace discussions last year floundered and questions remain over the ability of the rebel interlocutors to tug the leash of increasingly ruthless foot soldiers.
In his weekly televised speech on Friday, Prayuth said Kuala Lumpur had agreed to continue facilitating peace talks.
But a source close to the discussions said insurgent leaders were yet to agree to return to the table - annoyed that Thai negotiators failed to respond to a set of demands made last year.
Those included a broad amnesty and discussions on a form of autonomy for the region.
