A question of loyalty. From AP, with thanks to Nicolei:
BANGKOK: A ruling party lawmaker surrendered to police yesterday to face treason charges in connection with a deadly raid on a military arsenal in January that marked a resurgence of separatist violence in Thailand’s Muslim south.
The charges against Muslim lawmaker Najamudeen Umar, which he denies, have deeply embarrassed the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Thaksin, who recently said he was perplexed by what’s happening in the south, has not defended the lawmaker.
Najamudeen went by car yesterday to a police facility here along with four parliamentary colleagues from his Thai Rak Thai party and presented himself for arrest to the deputy national police chief, Lt-Gen Kovit Wattana.
Najamudeen was charged on March 23 with treason for alleged involvement in the daring guerilla raid on an army camp in the southern province of Narathiwat on Jan 4, in which four soldiers were killed and hundreds of guns stolen.