Thailand's leader shrugged off international criticism of his government's crackdown on suspected Islamic militants, saying in speech to the nation Saturday that he had no choice but to use overwhelming force. More than 100 suspected militants — mostly young men wielding machetes — were killed Wednesday when they attacked police and army posts in pre-dawn raids in three southern provinces. Three police and two soldiers were also killed.
On Friday, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights demanded that Thailand investigate the killings, citing treaties that require security forces to refrain from using excessive force. International and local human rights groups have also called for investigations. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra responded with defiance. "Please don't intervene. Please leave us alone," he said in a radio address Saturday. "It is my job and we can cope with this matter. We are trying to explain this to foreigners. But if they do not understand or ignore our explanation, I don't care because we are not begging them for food," Thaksin said. Thaksin initially blamed drug traffickers and organized crime but the government now says it suspects the attacks were the work of Islamic separatists. |