A "dove" police chief in the Deep South

The appointment of Pol Lt-Gen Anurut Krisanakaraket, an inspector-general, as the new commissioner of the Southern Border Provinces Police’s Operating Centre  came as a total surprise described by the media as a "last minute" change. 

          Prior to his surprise appointment, it was widely speculated that the officer most appropriate to be appointed for the post should be Pol Lt-Gen Suchart Thiraswasdi, commissioner attached to the National Police Office and son of the former police chief, Pol Gen Sawaeng Thiraswasdi.

          Pol Lt-Gen Suchart used to serve in the restive Deep South as chief of special equipment and earned himself an outstanding record in suppression activities.

          So when Pol Lt-Gen Anurut was appointed instead of a favourite candidate like Pol Lt-Gen Suchart, the immediate questions raised by quite a few skeptics were who was he and where he come from.  Some critics were harsh against him noting that he might not be suitable for the job because he was "desk job" officer and not a tough lawman.

          But Mrs Angkana Nilapaichit, chair of the Justice for Peace Foundation, was optimistic about Anurut’s appointment.  From her previous encounter with this police officer when he was invited to testify before a Senate committee, she said that Anurut understood the southern unrest problem quite well, especially in human rights aspect.

          When Pol Lt-Gen Anurut assumed the role as the acting commander of SBPPOC recently, he quickly demonstrated to his men that he was no stranger to the problem in the region and attached importance to promoting understanding with the local people.

          This "soft" approach was clearly reflected in his message posted in the website of the SBPPOC which reads: "Throughout the past ten years, the people, government officials, military personnel, police, teachers and local officials have lost their loved ones.  Several were wounded, disabled and many properties were damaged.  All because of misunderstanding and mistrust of the officials.

          I, Pol Lt-Gen Anurut Krisanakaraket, commissioner of SBPPOC, would like to apologise and express my regret towards my brothers and sisters and to ask for an opportunity to bring about peace, happiness, equality and justice to the people through peaceful means; to restrict the use of force, to resort to dialogue which is key to the restoration of peace and reconciliation so there will be real peace in this land.."

          Recently, Pol Lt-Gen Anurut talked to policemen during the morning flag-hoisting ritual referring to an incident on November 14 when security force rammed an armored car into the house of a suspect who defied an order to surrender.  Two suspects were killed and five arrested in that incident.

          Security officers insisted that the security forces did not overact and they had followed the rules of engagement.  

          But Pol Lt-Gen Anurut thought differently about the case.  He thought the security forces had overacted.  He pointed out that the suspect was armed with a pistol and they should wait until he used all his ammunition.  He said why didn’t they brought with them bullhorns to ask the suspect to surrender and added that the bullet-proof vests could withstand shots from pistols.

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Caption : The website of the SBPPOC with his message