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August 14, 2006

Thailand: In The South, The Muslim Killings Continue

Yesterday, I wrote of the case of a motorcycle shopkeeper, Kim Sae-Kong, who was shot dead at his store in Rangae district, Narathiwat province. When security officials came to investigate, a bomb hidden inside a motorcycle blew up, and killed one person instantly. Eleven others were injured and one died after reaching hospital. Three people, thought to be soldiers from Task Force 34, were said to be in a critical condition. Today, according to the Bangkok Post, another person, a villager, has died. This brings the death toll up to four, including Mr Kim.

The news source TNA English News reports that there may be some development in the case. Local residents have been able to name the owner of the motorcycle which exploded. The man had brought the motorcycle into the shop on the pretext of having it repaired. The bomb had been triggered by remote control. Police are searching for this man.

They also have the identity of one of two men who were in a pick up truck, parked across the road from the shop. These individuals are believed to have triggered the bomb when security personnel arrived. The governor of Narathiwat, Pracha Therat, called the attackers "inhumane" and awarded compensation to those caught up in the blast. He vowed to have the killers brought to justice. Apparently eight wounded soldiers have recovered enough to be out of danfer, but three villagers, a woman and two men were still in a hospital intensive care unit.

At around the same time as the bomb went off at the motorcycle shop, another village in the district of Rangae was searched by a 90 strong security force. The security personnel weree acting on a tip-off that insurgents were being hidden in Ban Khao Noi. No suspects nor materials were found.

Yesterday, (Sunday 13 August) a 29 year old local man was gunned down in an incident which happened at a teashop in Cho Airong (Cho-I-Rong) distric in the same province. Usaman Jehtanee was drinking tea in Murueb Ork cillage, when gunmen on a motorcycle approached and fired several shots. Mr Usaman was pronounced dead at hospital. Two others were injured in the shooting - 64-year old Many Dueramae and 56- year old Manu Mana.

We wrote yesterday that the owner of an elephant troupe, 24 year old Mongkol Triyos, was shot dead by two individuals who asked to buy tickets. They shot him three times, twice in the chest and once in the face. The incident happened in Muang district, Yala province.

Today a local man, 21-year old Ibrahim Kalong from Muang, was questioned by police for shooting Mongkol. Ibrahim had been identified by three witnesses including the wife of the elephant troupe owner.

Elsewhere in Yala province, another shooting took place at a tea shop today. This time, the victim was a 56-year old headman called Nu Seeya. He was drinking tea in a tea shop in Bannang Sata district, when four insirgents, pretending to customers, shot him seven times in the head.

Also, according to TNA English News, a rubber plantation farmer was shot today in Yarang district, Pattani province. Around 11.45 am local time, 34-year old Nopadon Yamapat was riding his motorcycle to sell latex which he had collected earlier, when he was followed by two men on another motorcycle. The pillion rider pulled out a gun and shot Nopadon several times. He died by the road.

At noon in Maelan district of Pattani province today, a pork-seller was riding back from a market he had attended in neighbouring Yala province. 40-year old Sarot Tantanawat was shot by two men riding a motorcycle. He died at the scene.

The southern provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, as well as two districts of Songhkla province, formerly comprised an independent Muslim sultanate called Pattani, before they were officially annexed by Thailand a century ago. 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.

And before I forget, the Thai nation celebrated the 74th birthday of Queen Sirikit on Saturday (August 12), which is also Mothers Day in Thailand. The royals in Thailand are treated with an affection that is now almost unknown for European monarchies, close to the warm feelings that people in Britain had for Elizabeth II in the 1960s. Queen Sirikit has promised to visit the southern three provinces to meet people and to visit the projects which she has established to improve the quality of people's lives, including self-sufficient villages and experimental farms. She usually visits in September, but has decided to come earlier because she says she is concerned for the people of the south during the conflict.

Among the many gestures which endear her to the nation she is funding an 11-year old boy, who was forced into street-begging after being abandoned by his parents, to live in the governor's compound in Khon Kaen province with a 57 year old nanny. Details here. It's sentimental, has nothing to do with Islam, but is a nice story nonetheless.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at August 14, 2006 8:40 PM

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