After an angry soldier shot at a Muslim student, a Vice President of Prince of Songkla University (PSU), Pattani campus, has called on the authorities to ensure the safety of the campus area while the leader of the student union has called for legal action against the shooter.
On 9 August 2017, Bordin Waelateh, Vice President for Student Development, Pattani Campus, called on security officers in the restive Deep South to maintain campus areas as ‘safety zones’.
His statement was made after Sgt Preecha Intharangsi, 31, at around 6 pm on 8 August, fired three shots from his 9 mm pistol at Hanan Suden, a female Muslim PSU student, after hitting her parked motorcycle with his pick-up truck. The bullets missed her.
Maj Gen Jatuporn Klampasut, commander of the 22nd Pattani Ad Hoc Rangers Unit, paraded Preecha at a press conference on 9 August at the Ingkha Yuttha Borihan camp in Nong Chik District and apologised for the incident.
He said Preecha was emotionally agitated from an argument with his wife, which triggered his actions, adding that the soldier will face the harshest military punishment.
Bokoree Kamasae, President of the Student Union of PSU Pattani, condemned the shooting, calling it attempted murder.
He said that the soldier will be held responsible from his action despite his claim that he was drunk at that time, adding that such incidents create mistrust between local people the security forces.
Asst. Prof. Jehabdulloh Jehsorhoh of the PSU Fine Arts Department said that the state should have better criteria in recruiting security officers.
Some security forces used foul language with local people who drove past checkpoints in the region, Jehabdulloh claimed from his experience.
Agreeing with the lecturer, Arafeen So, acting president of the Federation of Patani Students and Youth (PerMAS), pointed out that such incidents often happen in the restive Deep South and affect the ongoing peace process between the Thai state and the insurgent groups.
Sgt Preecha Intharangsi (in red shirt) apologises at the press briefing at Ingkha Yuttha Borihan camp on 9 August 2017
