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July 7, 2006

Thailand: Muslim Women Charged For Battering Buddhist Teachers

We reported that on May 19, a mob of Muslims, comprising several women, beseiged a school in Gujingruepo village in Rangae district, Narathiwat province. The mob wanted to know which teachers were Buddhist, and as a consequence two women were identidied. The two women teachers, 26-year old Juling Pongkanmul and 30 year old Sirinat Thavornsuk, were held captive in a room in the school, where they received a violent beating with sticks and fists.

As the women teachers were assaulted, other villagers, again with women amongst them, placed spikes and obstacles across the roads leading to Gujingruepo, hindering access to security forces. After being beaten for more than hour, the women were finally rescued, but for Ms Juling Pongkanmu, the beating had been to severe for her to make a recovery.

Her brain suffered lesions and bleeding, and since that time, she has been in a coma, kept on a life support at Prince of Songkhla Hospital in Hat Yai district, Songkhla province. A talented artist, Ms Juling had only started to teach at the school this year. If she does recover, she is expected to be severely disabled and mentally impaired.

The mob which attacked the two teachers was led by a woman, a 24-year old villager, Karima Masaleh, whose husband, Muhamad Sapaeing Buari, had earlier in the day been arrested by security forces, accused of shooting at Thai marines at a railway station on April 12. It appears she hoped to hold the teachers to gain the release of her husband.

Masaleh was one of the first to be arrested for the attacks. On May 24, two women and a man were arrested, and five houses were searched. In the house searches, a leather handbag was discovered, believed to have belonged to one of the Buddhist teachers. The male who was arrested was the school's 47-year old janitor.

By Wednesday 2 May, 19 arrests had been made, and on June 14 a further 46 arrest warrants were made out for those who took part in the siege and assault at Gujingruepo.

Today, the Bangkok Post reports that twelve female suspects have been charged with the incidents which took place on May 19. All those indicted are aged between 22 and 47. Only two of the women have confessed to taking part in the attack.

Police say that the assault happened in retaliation for the arrest of the insurgent Muhamad Sapaeing Buari (Moohamasapae-ing Milee), the husband of Karima Masaleh, and also Abdulgareem Matae, another insurgent arrested in Gujingruepo earlier that day.

The handbag had been stolen by one of those now accused, 22-year old Nawaree Ding, who had dragged Ms Juling from her class and also abducted Sirinat Thavornsuk from a noodle shop nearby. The handbag was the property of Ms Sirinat.

The teachers had been taken to the village's child care centre, and Nawaree Ding and others dragged logs across the roads. Another suspect, 25-year old Bawankit Hinna and other women prevented rescuers from getting near the two teachers.

While the two teachers were being detained, another suspect, Suena Madeng, with about 20 other women, allegedly obstructed the security officers from taking Karima Masaleh's husband and Abdulgareem Matae from the village. 24-year old Karima Masaleh ordered other leaders of the group to form a human chain around the child care center.

The other suspects who are being charged are accused of collaboration with the capture of the two teachers.

There are 861 schools in the three southern provinces, with 291,300 students being taught by 11,260 teachers. Since the insurgency began on Jan 4, 2004, when 20 schools were burned, more than 50 teachers have been killed, and more than 60 have been injured.

We reported yesterday that a 42 year old teacher, Suthisak Malisuwan, was shot and seriously wounded in Yarang district, Pattani province.He had been driving in his pickup truck, approaching Santiwithaya school, where he taught, when insurgents attacked.

Last week on June 28, another staff member from the same private school, computer teacher Jeh-arming Jehko, had been shot and critically wounded in a similar attack. Today, according to TNA English News the Santiwittaya Islamic School officiall closed today for an unspecified period. The teachers are too fearful of more attacks.

In further news from the south, The Nation reports that a security guard at the Bang Lang Dam in Bannang Sata district, Yala province, was shot dead by insurgents. The incident happened around 3 pm local time, when two men on a motorcycle arrived and opened fire. Hit several times in the head, 50-year old Surachai Polprachid died at the scene. The insurgents made off with Surachai's 11 mm pistol.

The Bangkok Post reports that insurgents are now employing spies to act as a wedge dividing authorities and residents. The tactic, originated by the Barisan Revolusi Nasional Coordinate (BRN), one of the insurgent factions, is being deployed elsewhere to foment distrust.

The agents claim to be working for the security forces, or act as informants, giving false information which leads to innocent villagers, headmen or religious figures to have their homes raided. Then villagers feel they are being victimised, and the feelings of resentment against the authorities grows.

In Narathiwat province today, spikes were strewn across roads in tambon Juab in the Cho Airong district. Soldiers and police spent more than two hours clearing the roads of these items which punctured tires of several vehicles.

The southern provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala, as well as two districts of neighbouring Songhkla province, were formerly an independent Muslim Sultanate. This Sultanate, called Pattani, had been invaded, and a century ago, it became officially annexed into Thailand. In these three provinces, there is a Muslim majority, with 80% of the demographic being Muslim, and 20% Buddhist. Since January 4, 2004, an armed insurgency has been going on, which has now seen almost 1,300 people killed. The insurgents wish the three southern provinces to secede from Thailand.

The Nation repors that the Queen of Thailand will be visiting the southern provinces shortly after her birthday, which falls on August 12. With thanks to reader Bangkok Al, I am also told the Queen's birthday is also national Mother's Day. The Queen will be embarking on a tour of the projects she has set up and patronised in the south.

She will visit self-sufficient villages and experimental farms. Her annual trip to the south normally happens in September, but her spokesperson states that she is concerned for the people in the south who are fearful of the insurgents' attacks. One hopes she will come well-protected.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at July 7, 2006 10:42 PM

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Posted by: Bangkok Al at July 7, 2006 11:32 PM

Posted by: Giraldus Cambrensis at July 8, 2006 12:01 AM

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