YALA, Oct 2 – A group of nine insurgents in Thailand’s deep South surrendered to the authorities in Yala on Tuesday, expressing their sincerity and readiness to be dealt with using existing legal procedures.
Yala Governor Dejrat Simsiri witnessed the nine reporting to the authorities to help restore peace in the southernmost provinces.
Four were suspects who may have been involved in previous violent attacks but there was insufficient evidence to request arrest warrants from the court.
Three were defendants whose cases are pending in the courts for security related offences.
All have been temporarily released with verification documents issued by the Yala authorities.
The remaining two men were defendants in a security-related case. They were acquitted by the Court but said they still live in fear and that they decided to meet the authorities after learning about the policy to bring peace to the troubled region.
Mr Dejrat said the province has been implementing a development policy to ease violence in the area, based on His Majesty the King’s advice – to understand, access and develop the local area as well as setting up the Yala Outreach Centre between October 2009 and April 3 this year.
During the period, 209 insurgents joined the government’s attempt to bring peace to the southern provinces.
