Western Resistance

« UK: Ken Livingstone's Muslim Buddy Makes Another Hate Speech | | UK: Muslim Honor Killing - Two Found Guilty »

June 16, 2006

Thailand: More Bombings In Muslim South

The Bangkok Post reports that today, at least a dozen more bombs were set off in the southern provinces of Thailand. Yesterday, 50 bombs went off in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat provinces. An Indonesian and five Thais were arrested yesterday and today in connection with that string of attacks.

In the attacks today, which happened in all three provinces in the morning, railway stations were the main targets. The first bomb went off at 5 am local time, at a ticket counter at the ferry port of Tak Bai district in Narathiwat province. This connects with Kelantan State across the border in Malaysia. Yesterday the interior minister, Kongsak Wantana, hinted that the bombs had been manufactured in Malaysia.

After the ticket counter blast, a bomb which had been discovered in a lavatory in Sungai Kolok district office was successfully defused.

More explosions happened outside the railway stations at Sungai Kolok and Tanyongmat without causing injury, but an explosion which came from a device hidden under a table in a cafe and karaoke bar in Tak Bai district wounded three men.

In neighbouring Pattani province, a powerful bomb, made from TBT blew up the men's lavatory at Pattani railway station. This ripped a hole in te ceiling and smashed out windows, but did not injure anyone.

In Yala province, a car belonging to the assistant chief of Kabang district was blown up. The official, 34-year old Mustorfah Masa-a, and his wife Paweena were injured in the blast. The car was wrecked, and flying shrapnel hit and injured two officials standing nearby.

At Yala town station, a bomb hidden in the ceiling of the men's lavatory exploded, and another device left in front of Raman railway station went off. Damage was caused by these two bombs, but no injuries.

Police general Chidchai Wannasathit, who is also caretaker deputy prime minister, said that the bombs were not created in Malaysia, but were manufactured locally. He claims that the bombings are the work of the group Runda Kumpulan Kecil (RKK), a group which is involved in the insurgency. Chidchai claimed that the authorities have a list of 500 RKK members, including bomb-makers.

The insurgency, which seeks to have Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani provinces secede from Thailand, began on Jan 4, 2004, and has now claimed 1, 300 lives. The insurgents believe in the re-establishment of the former sultanate of Pattani, which used to be independent, and comprised the territory of the three provinces, as well as two districts of adjacent Songhkla district. Following an invasion, the sultanate of Pattani was officially annexed into Thailand a century ago.

The Bangkok Post claims a security source has said that separatists have stockpiled between 100 to 200 more bombs, which they intend to use, to create more mayhem. This source further alleges that militants plan to kidnap government officials, and to hold them hostage to exchange for 200 militants currently held in custody. The insurgents also intend to demand the removal of the "Emergency Decree" currently in force in the south, and to call for removal of troops from the three provinces.

Concerning the arrests of suspected bomb-makers and plotters, an Indonesian man, 34-year old Sabri bin Emaeruding, was found with bomb-making equipment and was arrested yesterday. His apprehension followed a raid on the tambon (parish) of Bo-ngoh in the volatile district of Rangae in Narathiwat province.

In the same district, four Thai nationals, who were already on warrants issued before yesterday's blasts, were arrested by a security force comprising 100 individuals. The four may have been involved in the bombing campaign. Paosi Nisaro, the owner of the house where the four had been staying, was also arrested.

The four are: 38-year old Muhammadsagiya Nisarae, 51-year old Awae Nisarae, 46-year old Mamu Malee, and 53-year old Yawaree Wama. All are believed to have information on the various separatist units active in the region.

According to AKI, the Indonesian man was born in Sumatra. Last November, general Sonthi Boonyaratglin, head of the Thai army, had said that there were possible links with Indonesia, after 17 suspects confessed to being part of a group of 300 who had been trained in Indonesia.

At the end of last year, intelligence sources had claimed that an Indonesian known as Mudeh was the head of the south Warriors of Valaya. This group had then been recently formed, and had connections in Malaysia, Singapore, Afghanistan and Indonesia.

Zachary Abuza, an expert in terrorism in southeast Asia, has said that one homegrown insurgent group, the Pattani Islamic Mujahideen, had made links with the Indonesia-based terror group Jemaah Islamiyah as far back as March 2005.

The caretaker deputy Prime Minister, Chidchai Wannasathit yesterday flew into the south to speak to those involved in security measures, before returning the same day to chair a meeting of security agencies, to discuss future tactics.

At the meeting, it was decided to divide the south into three regional areas, depending on the strength of the insurgents' influence. Of the 1,600 villages in the southern provinces, 200 are believed to be under the control of insurgents. Caretaker Deputy Interior Minister Sermsak Pongpanit. present at the meeting, said that these areas ned to be "taken back".

Mr Sermsak said that the other areas needed to be persuaded to abandon the ideals of the insurgents through a "hearts and minds" approach. In these areas, caution should be employed when mounting counter-insurgency operations.

The meeting decided that more surveillance cameras were to be brought into the area. There are more than 30 district offices in the region, but only 10 of these have CCTV cameras installed.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at June 16, 2006 7:37 PM

Comments

Post a comment