태국 정부, 최남단 지역 비상사태법을 국내치안법으로 완화 검토

[울트라-노마드]

(보도) 연합뉴스 2013-2-19

태국, 남부 이슬람분쟁 지역에 유화책 시도

비상령 완화, 말레이시아와 이중국적 부여도 논의

(방콕=연합뉴스) 현경숙 특파원 = 태국이 이슬람교도들의 분리독립 테러가 지속되는 남부 지역에 비상령 완화를 골자로 한 유화책을 시도 중이다.

19일 현지언론들에 따르면 태국 정부는 18일 잉락 친나왓 총리 주재로 회의를 열고 얄라, 나라티왓, 빠따니 등 3개 주에 내려진 비상령을 내부치안법(ISA)으로 대치하기로 했다.

비상령은 이들 3개 주에서 군이 반군 혐의자를 영장 없이 체포해 30일간 아무 장소에나 구금할 수 있도록 하고 있어 가혹하다는 비판을 받아왔다. 또 이슬람 반도들에게 유죄답변거래를 적용해, 자수하는 반군들의 형을 대폭 낮춰줄 방침이다.

이와 함께 조만간 말레이시아를 방문할 예정인 잉락 총리는 남부 이슬람 반군들에게 말레이시아와 함께 이중 국적을 부여하는 방안을 논의하기로 했다.

말레이시아와 접경한 남부 3개 주는 과거 말레이시아 영토였다 1900년대 초 영국과 태국의 조약에 의해 태국으로 합병된 지역이다. 종교, 언어, 민족적으로 말레이시아에 가까운 이 지역의 이슬람 반군들은 태국에 분리독립을 요구하며 테러를 지속하고 있다.

특히 2004년 반군들이 태국 군 기지를 대규모 공격한 이후 군은 물론 정부에 협력하는 민간인들에 대한 무력 공격과 유혈 테러가 계속되고 있으며, 현재까지 5천 명 이상이 숨졌다.

지난 13일에는 정부군이 반군의 야간 기습 계획을 사전 탐지해 반군 16명을 사살한 뒤 반군의 보복 테러가 거세질 조짐을 보이고 있다.

태국 정부는 반군 90여 명이 자수했고, 추가로 20여 명이 자수 의사를 밝혔다며, 반군의 이탈을 촉진하기 위해 유죄답변거래를 활성화할 것이라고 밝혔다.

정부는 반군들과 협상하지 않는다는 원칙에 변함이 없으나, 분쟁 종식과 평화 달성을 위해 반군들과 대화에 적극 나서겠다는 입장이다.

(보도) Bangkok Post 2013-2-18

태국 정부, 최남단 지역 비상사태법을 국내치안법으로 완화 검토

Govt mulls softer security stance in South risk spots

Security agencies have decided to replace the draconian state of emergency in the deep South with the less harsh Internal Security Act (ISA).

National Security Council (NSC) secretary-general Paradorn Pattanathabutr (사진) Monday said the government intended to tone down the severity of law enforcement in the violence-plagued region.

He had just finished attending a meeting of security agencies chaired by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at Government House.

The meeting agreed the Executive Decree for Administration in Emergency Situations - now imposed in most districts of the southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat - should be replaced by the ISA. The government believes Section 21 of the ISA - which makes it easier for militants to turn themselves in to the authorities and for them to enter the negotiation process - will help them make gains in battling the insurgency in the region.

The agencies attending the meeting were the NSC, the Centre for the Implementation of Policies and Strategies for Solving Southern Problems, the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) and the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre (SBPAC).

Lt Gen Paradorn said the proposal is in line with the government's approach to solving the southern conflict through peaceful dialogue. The governors of the three provinces, the Interior Ministry and the SBPAC would assess the situation and recommend areas where the emergency decree should be replaced with the ISA. The meeting would then make a decision based on their recommendations, he said.

The emergency decree gives the state extraordinary powers to impose security measures to deal with situations that threaten national security, internal peace and order. This includes the controversial power to detain persons at any location without charges for up to 30 days.

Lt Gen Paradorn said the current situation in the deep South is not as dire as many people believe.

In fact, more than 20 separatists are now seeking to defect to the government's side. This has prompted insurgents to instigate a spike in violence to discourage their colleagues from defecting, he said.

Lt Gen Paradorn said Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung's proposal to impose a curfew in particularly violent areas in the South had nothing to do with the meeting's resolution to replace the emergency decree.

He said the premier had ordered Mr Chalerm to visit the far South to follow up on the situation there.

Mr Chalerm said he would travel to the far South after the election for Bangkok governor, and that he is confident that the violence in the South can be successfully addressed.

After the meeting army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha stressed that the government will avoid using heavy handed measures and stick to the judicial process in countering the insurgency. Gen Prayuth said even without the emergency decree the military can invoke martial law to detain suspects immediately for questioning for seven days. He said the ISA will replace the emergency decree only after violence in the far South decreases.

Two committees at the Justice Ministry would consider the invocation of Section 21 of the ISA and the director of Isoc would approve the invocation of the law.

Gen Prayuth said insurgent violence flared up again in the deep South after rebels raided a military armoury in Narathiwat in early 2004. He said in the first stage of the government's efforts to address the problem, the army deployed troops from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd armies to reinforce the 4th Army in the South. In the current second stage, the plan is to strengthen local security operations by setting up defence volunteer units. If and when the situation in the far South improves, soldiers will return to their original bases, Gen Prayuth said.

Fourth Army chief Udomchai Thammasarorat Monday voiced his support for replacing the emergency decree with the ISA. He said Section 21 of the ISA would help all sides forgive each other.

On efforts to achieve peace through dialogue, Lt Gen Udomchai said it is important to bargain from a position of strength. He said dialogue did not mean negotiations and negotiations with insurgents are not possible. What the government can do is initiate a process conducive to ending the conflict and such a process already exists at all levels, he said.

Sunai Phasuk, a Human Rights Watch researcher, said militants are now exploiting the deaths of the 16 rebels who were killed during a raid on a marine base in Narathiwat's Bacho district last Wednesday, using their "martyrdom" to propagate their separatist campaign.

He said the government needs to set up a committee to probe what happened during the raid and then explain the truth to locals. The committee could include members of the National Human Rights Commission or House committee members, and could be chaired by the Isoc or the SBPAC, he said.

 * 상위화면 : "[기사목록] 태국 남부 무슬림 반군 소요사태 진행상황"