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August 1, 2006

Thailand: Multiple Bombs In Muslim South, Buddhist Temple Hit

News which has not yet been in most Thai Anglophone editions, apart from The Nation reports that a major bomb campaign has been carried out in the Muslim south of Thailand. The news is carried so far by AFP via the Daily Times, Al Jazeera, Voice of America, and Associated Press via MSNBC and tthe Washington Post.

Since our last update on Thailand's insurgency, there have been several developments which shall be placed in the next posting.

The southern provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, as well as two districts of Songhkla province, formerly comprised an independent Muslim sultanate called Pattani. Thailand invaded the region in 1786, and the provinces became officially annexed into Thailand in 1902. The population in these provinces is 80% Muslim, and 20% Buddhist.

Since January 4 2004, an insurgency has been carried out by Muslim separatists, who wish to see the southern region secede from Thailand. Almost 1,400 people have died in the violence so far. Recently, the majority of victims of this violence seem to be Muslims themselves, individuals judged to be "collaborators" with the Thai authorities.

Usually the attacks by insurgents have been carried out in the form of shootings, mainly drive by shootings carried out by gunmen on motorbikes. There have been bomb attacks, but the attack which happened in the evening (local time) is the first coordinated mass bombing in the region since a series of blasts took place in June.

On 15 June which is called "Pattani Day" by the insurgents, there were 12 bombs in Yala, 18 in Pattani and 20 in Narathiwat, killing three and injuring at least 16 people. Again on June 16 a campaign of bombs went off again, though on a smaller scale, with about a dozen blasts in Pattani, Yala and Narithiwat, causing injury but no deaths. Bombings continued for days afterwards. The attacks were thought to have been perpetrated by members of the insurgent group Runda Kumpulan Kecil (RKK).

Today's attacks appear to have been mounted in a similar manner to the June 15 attacks, but with more intensity, as along with a mass bombing campaign, there were also arson attacks in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat and also Songkhla province. In all about 100 attacks were carried out, with 40 of these involving explosives.

The most serious incident appears to be the arson attack upon a rubber factory in Pattani, where rubber sheets were still burning uncontrollably for some time afterwards. In the past few months, rubber plantation workers and managers have been targeted by insurgent gunmen.

In arson attacks, public phone booths and police cars have been burned, and a bomb went off at a Buddhist temple in Rueso district in Narathiwat.

In Cho Airong (Joh-I-Rong) district in Narathiwat a 5 kilogram bomb, triggered by a mobile phone blew up outside a local government office, the Chuab Tambon Administration Organisation (TAO). The bomb was triggered as an army patrol was passing. A patrolling soldier was injured in the blast. Recently, the government is trying to stop the illegal use of unregistered mobile phones and SIM cards, as many individual bombs have been triggered by cellular phones.

Two karaoke bars were also bombed in Narathiwat, but with no casualties. Bacho Police station in Narathiwat was also bombed.

In Pattani, phone booths, minimarts, cars and police residences were set on fire in Yarang, Muang and Nong Chik districts and burning tires and spikes were placed on roads to prevent access by rescue services.

Burning tires were placed on roads in Yala, and a grenade was thrown at a gas station in the same province. Also in Yala, a school was bombed in Bunnang Sata district, and other bomb attacks took place in Than To district upon residential areas. The Krong Pinang TAO was also targeted by a bomb attack.

Most of the explosive devices used appear to be small homemade bombs, of a type similar to those which first appeared to be used in the June 15 attacks - so-called "fish can bombs". The devices in tonight's attacks were mostly set off with the aid of mobile phones.

The attacks began at 8 pm local time, according to Thai television sources, and by 10 pm, they had finished.

Six suspects have so far been arrested. Fortunately, there have only been two reported casualties, and no deaths from the attacks.

On July 12 we reported that intelligence sources in Thailand were warning of a major attack which was to have been carried out by insurgents between July 28 and July 30. Though two days late, this appears to be the "large event" which was predicted. The attack had been spoken of by activists from the insurgent group Permuda, at a secret meeting held on July 5. Permuda is the youth wing of Runda Kampulan Kecil (RKK).

On July 16 security forces were on high alert, as members of Permuda became active. They had been training young Muslims in combat tactics, and had been hiding out in villages, in areas including Yala's tambon Bacho in Bannang Sata district, tambon Tathong in Raman district and Ban Klong Sai in Kabang district, Pattani's Thung Yang Daeng, Nong Chik, Kapho districts and Narathiwat's Rueso, Chanae and Sukhirin districts.

The Nation reports that subsequent to today's arson and bomb attacks, three police were killed by a bomb in Songkhla province. Early Wednesday morning, 6.10 am local time, the device was detonated on rail tracks at Chana District. Police regularly inspect rail tracks each morning. On the June 16 bomb campaigns, many train stations were hit by small explosive devices.

The bomb in Songhkla happened about three kilometers away from Chana railway station. Another officer was injured in the attack.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at August 1, 2006 10:44 PM

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