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June 29, 2006

Thailand: Karaoke Bar Shooting In Muslim South

News from the Bangkok Post, the Nation and TNA MCOT states that yesterday evening one person was killed and five people were injured in Narathiwat province, in the mainly Muslim south. In Rusa district, a karaoke bar was attacked by two insurgent gunmen, who arrived on a motorcycle at the "Dear Karaoke" bar at around 10pm local time.

The gunmen began shooting and killed 18-year old Zahah Uma. He was hit several times in the body and died at the scene, and five other people in the bar were injured. These individuals, Dasae Duerae, 27, Yuhari Sueri, 28, Asueman Hawae, 19, Yago Adae, 27, and Manawi Sueri, 36, were taken to a nearby hospital. These individuals, including the dead teenager, had been customers, eating a meal at the time of the attack.

While staff and patrons were in a state of panic trying to flee the scene, the gunmen rode off. 13 spent cartridges were left. Security forces had recently warned that karaoke bars which had female hostesses and venues which served alcohol were potential targets of the Muslim militants.

On June 17 in neighbouring Yala province, a bomb in a karaoke bar in Muang district had killed one man and injured two women.

Buddhist monks and teachers are also potential targets for insurgents, and these are often provided with security patrols to protect or escort them. We reported on Tuesday June 27 that a security patrol assigned to protect teachers was attacked with a bomb and by gunmen in Raman district, Yala province.

Yesterday in Narathiwat province, a security unit which escorted Buddhist monks was attacked by insurgents in tambon Marue-bo-ok in Cho Airong district. The vehicle carrying the security guards was ambushed as three motorcyclits drove into its path, causing it to veer to the side of the road. As it did so, a remote-controlled bomb exploded. A hole was left in the roadside, and shrapnel was scattered about, but no-one was hurt.

In Rangae district, Narathiwat, an area with a high amount of militants living in the villages, a 25 year old man called Usman Talae was shot dead.

In Sungai Kolok in the same province, a 58-year old railway engineer was hit by gunfire in a drive-by shooting this morning. Kariyah Yoh was riding his motorbike to work at 7 am local time, when two men on motorcycles shot at him. He was hit in the head by a bullet that grazed by his right ear, and fell to the ground, seriously wounded. He lay still in a roadside ditch, pretending to be dead, and the assailants rode off. He was taken to Sungai Padi hospital.

In Sukhirin district, Narathiwat province, a 67-year old rubber farmer, Soon Bunjit, was shot in a drive-by incident as he rode his motorcycle home today. He was badly injured and taken to hospital.

In Sai Buri district in Pattani province, a worker for the electricity authority, 32-year old Somnai Saengkhum, was injured at around 8 am this morning in a shooting incident. He was attacked as he rode his motorcycle to work.

Following the bomb attack and armed ambush on the teacher's security unit, which happened on Tuesday in Raman district, Yala province, 22 locations in the district were raided by about 250 military and police officers. Four men and three women were arrested, and were taken to Ninth Police Region forward command in Yala for questioning.

The men are named as Basri Mahama, 44, and Malawi Deng-lameng, 19, who were believed to have been involved in Tuesday's bomb and gun attack, and also Abiding Dosaedoso, 27, and Usman Marapae, 17. The lattere two are suspected of taking part in drive-by shootings in Balor village.

The women suspects are being questioned in connection with recent bomb blasts. The recent spate of bombings began on June 15, when 50 bombs were set off in the provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat. The women have been identified as Russana Useng, 22, Saliya Namurae, 23, and Kam-ra Sahato, 25.

We reported on June 19 that caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had empowered army chief Sonthi Boonyarataglin to quell the current unrest in the south.Chidchai Wannasathit, the police general and caretaker Deputy Prime Minister had formerly been managing the situation.

General Sonthi at that time was in Malaysia, but now he is back in Thailand, he has been consulting with Anand Panyarachun, who had been a key member of the government-appointed, but now disbanded, National Reconcialtion Commission (NRC), on ways to implement new strategies to combat the insurgency.

20,000 more troops will be dispatched to the region. These will be proficient in Yari, the Malay dialect spoken in the south by the Muslims, who make up 80% of the population. Already, 20,000 troops are in the region, with an additional 2,800 paramilitaries from the Fourth Army.

The arrival of more troops was greeted by Ahmed Somboon Bualuang, another member of the original NRC, who said that they would deepen the army's understanding of the customs and cultures of the local population. But Nimanase Sama-ali, head of the Youth Muslim Association of Thailand, said that no matter what language they spoke, the presence of extra troops would go against peace and reconciliation.

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.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at June 29, 2006 8:06 PM

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