[The Nation] Thailand's supreme court on Tuesday awarded life sentences to three men and jail terms of 13 years and four months to two others after they were found guilty of terrorism in the far South more than a decade ago. The verdict reversed two previous rulings that had acquitted the five on grounds of insufficient evidence.The defendants were charged as members of Bersatu, which has acted under supervision of BRN Coordinate, a militant group responsible for a series of deadly attacks. The men were arrested in connection with the murder of a senior policeman in Pattani's Muang district on December 29, 2004.
Maarsi Bunphol, Mustopa Jehya and Ulai Sohpanae were initially given life terms, but sentences for the latter two defendants were commuted to 33 years and four months because they confessed. Ilyas Manwang and Usman Pachee were found guilty of supporting terror and given 20-year terms, reduced to 13 years and four months since they provided useful testimony.