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Killing of top cop casts suspicion on officials in Thailand's volatile South

Analysis: Islamic leaders, relatives and friends reject authorities' version of events
Killing of top cop casts suspicion on officials in Thailand's volatile South

The policemen's pickup truck crashed into a ditch after being sprayed with automatic rifle fire (Photo: Bangkok Post)

Published: July 15, 2014 06:47 AM GMT
Updated: July 14, 2014 07:50 PM GMT

Doubts are mounting over the motive behind last Thursday’s attack which killed a Muslim deputy chief of Krong Pinang district police station and his two subordinates, as locals — including Islamic clergy — expressed their disbelief in the police theory that he was killed by insurgents.  

Religious leaders, neighbors, relatives, and friends who attended his funeral said the same thing — it was unlikely Pol Lt Col Adinant Ismaael was a target of southern insurgent groups.

Pol Lt Col Adinant, along with Pol Sub Lt Danupol Asae and Pol Lt Col Hama Sarado, was gunned down while returning to work from evening Ramadan prayers at a mosque in Krong Pinang district late on Thursday. 

Before the attack, the police official was heard telling his co-workers: “The villagers will never want to see me dead but someone else probably does.” 

His statement reflected his awareness of a looming threat on his life. It has now raised questions as to who would want to have him killed and why?

Pol Lt Col Adinant was nominated two years ago to become the chief of a police station in the deep South. But his name was withdrawn from the proposed promotion without a clear reason given.

In 2012, Pol Lt Col Adinant was recognized as an outstanding police official for his impressive work tackling narcotics problems. And just last year, he received an award for maintaining high ethical standards in the police profession.

He moved to Krong Pinang three years ago where he focused on fighting the drug menace in this “red zone” of the southern insurgency. 

His approach to combating the problem involved applying Islamic principles. The principle that Pol Lt Col Adinant applied is known as Dawah. It involved inviting the youth from the villages to attend activities and religious practices to try to help them change their attitudes and to help cure their addiction to drugs. 

The approach was a success, winning the hearts of locals and changing the attitudes of not only the villagers, especially young people, but also police officials dealing with the drug problem.

But to some of his superiors, the bond between Pol Lt Col Adinant and the villagers was worrying, as some were suspected of having links to the southern insurgents. 

 

Full Story: Yala cop killing baffles locals 

Source:Bangkok Post

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