Bangkok Post
Writer: King-oua Laohong and Wassana Nanuam
Scepticism about the effectiveness of GT200 bomb detectors has left residents in the restive deep South on edge as an erratic reading could lead to their being arrested by authorities.Nimu Makaje, Yala's advisory council for peace-building chairman, said villagers are worried they might end up being detained, interrogated or mistreated because of the device.
"What if they need to carry medicine with them? They are not afraid of being searched. They are afraid of being marked as insurgent suspects by the device."They would be detained, interrogated. That can lead to mistreatment and torture," he said.
After overseas media raised doubts about similar bomb detectors, residents had started to wonder whether the device is behind the controversial detention of 384 people suspected of taking part in the insurgency in 2007.Without being charged, the detainees remained in custody for 37 days under martial and emergency law.
They said faulty devices could lead to incorrect readings that people had been in contact with explosive substances when they had not."Despite the doubts and criticisms, no action is being taken," he said.
About 535 GT200 bomb detectors are in use to help tackle the insurgency in the three southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat.A hand-held bomb detector of a similar kind was exposed as a hoax in a recent BBC inquiry.
Mr Nimu called on authorities to clarify what the various devices cost.The police force procured the GT200 device for 400,000 baht per unit while the army's batch cost at least 900,000 baht apiece, he said.
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