Islamic Insurgents Claims Responsibility For Feb 18 Bombings

[george]

Islamic insurgents distribute leaflets claiming responsibility for Feb 18 bombings

YALA: -- Leaflets purportedly from "warriors of Patani Islamic State" were distributed in several districts of Yala and Songkhla Friday morning, claiming responsibility over the coordinated bomb attacks in the night of February 18.

The leaflets were found in Yaha, and Kabang districts of Yala and Songkhla's Sabayoi.

The leaflets called on ethic Malays in the deep South to continue the jihad or holy war against the "Siam oppressors".

The leaflets said the jihad against "Siam" was necessary as the daily prayers and holy fast.

The leaflets said "Siam people" on the Patani Islamic state would have no peace until they leave the land.

-- The Nation 2007-03-02

[John K]

Ok lets see, they admit to Feb. 18 bombs but not New years eve bombs.... hmmmm

Guess it looks more and more like other people.

[cclub75]

The strategy of islamic insurgents... is working perfectly.

Enough to read this comment, today, from the Defense minister : "The reconciliation signals we have been sending out were ill-received. We have made little progress because we stuck with defensive tactics,

We need to play it the hard way"

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/04Mar2007_news10.php

Hardliners are going to take again the upper hand. More violence. And more violence, in reaction, from the militants. And more importantly : it's going to increase the rift between thais and the local population. I believe that's the key point.

And if you read the comment of Defense minister, you'll understand that Thai are likely to loose the battle : "The separatists trick the youths into using drugs and the addicts are then sent out to cause trouble"

This analysis is mind boggling !

[jdinasia]

Ok lets see, they admit to Feb. 18 bombs but not New years eve bombs.... hmmmm

Guess it looks more and more like other people.

NYE always did look like something other than the South ... except to folks looking at the new "Red Menace!"

[Johpa]

The strategy of islamic insurgents... is working perfectly.

And if you read the comment of Defense minister, you'll understand that Thai are likely to loose the battle : "The separatists trick the youths into using drugs and the addicts are then sent out to cause trouble"

This analysis is mind boggling !

Despite the ridiculous analysis by some Thai cretin, the insurgents will never win the larger battle, which is independence from the Buddhist State, and their strategy will eventually lead to self-destruction. At some point the Thais will decide that enough is enough and will carry out raids with extreme prejudice. We are nowhere near that point in time as yet.

[keda]

What is it with you people? How about calling a spade a spade and terrorists terrorists, rather than insurgents, militants, criminals or very naughty boys? Cmon, get yer act together.

Johpa: Do you really believe your own analysis above, which has the 'insurgency' collapsing? Do you still believe it is a secular issue, and if so, how do you reconcile this by referring to separation from the 'Buddhist State'?

As to the Thais moving with extreme prejudice, firstly, the Southern peacelovers are also Thais, or have you already conceded to their demands, and then, we have yet to see any free and democratic people take on any of the myriad radical Islamic elements with any degree of success. What do you think the southern peacelovers any different, and why should it happen now?

[Johpa]

What is it with you people? How about calling a spade a spade and terrorists terrorists, rather than insurgents, militants, criminals or very naughty boys? Cmon, get yer act together.

Johpa: Do you really believe your own analysis above, which has the 'insurgency' collapsing? Do you still believe it is a secular issue, and if so, how do you reconcile this by referring to separation from the 'Buddhist State'?

As to the Thais moving with extreme prejudice, firstly, the Southern peacelovers are also Thais, or have you already conceded to their demands, and then, we have yet to see any free and democratic people take on any of the myriad radical Islamic elements with any degree of success. What do you think the southern peacelovers any different, and why should it happen now?

I do not believe that the insurgency will collapse per se, and my choice of words, "self-destruct", was incorrect, it should have been "be destroyed". I do belive that history shows that if pushed far enough that an Asian nation state will act with prejudice against such insurgents. I see no chance of Thailand, or any other country, rolling back the clock and ceding sovereignty over land to another state due to the existence of an local irredentist population.

I made no comments on the secularity, or lack thereof, on the issues. I am not sure if the concept is even relevent. And if it is a relevent concept then best perhaps should be seen as a continuum with the US, and its separation of church and state, being towards one end and Islam with religion and state being inseperable being towards the other end, with Thailand located somewhere in the middle of the continuum. But for Thailand, being in the middle of the continuum as a nominal Buddhist State, still puts it in the same opposition against Islam as is the US.

In other words, the battle against the Islamic Jihadists, which is part of the brew down south, is a combination of both secular and religious elements.

[beammeup]

The strategy of islamic insurgents... is working perfectly.

And if you read the comment of Defense minister, you'll understand that Thai are likely to loose the battle : "The separatists trick the youths into using drugs and the addicts are then sent out to cause trouble"

This analysis is mind boggling !

Despite the ridiculous analysis by some Thai cretin, the insurgents will never win the larger battle, which is independence from the Buddhist State, and their strategy will eventually lead to self-destruction. At some point the Thais will decide that enough is enough and will carry out raids with extreme prejudice. We are nowhere near that point in time as yet.

I live in the deep south and have seen first hand the drug abuse, I am aware of the contraban being smuggled across this porous border. There is a multiheaded monster who's needs to keep this area unstable. The Cretin's are these armchair critics who know nothing about the situation but feel the need to deminish the Thai's.

[Donnyboy]

The strategy of islamic insurgents... is working perfectly.

And if you read the comment of Defense minister, you'll understand that Thai are likely to loose the battle : "The separatists trick the youths into using drugs and the addicts are then sent out to cause trouble"

This analysis is mind boggling !

Despite the ridiculous analysis by some Thai cretin, the insurgents will never win the larger battle, which is independence from the Buddhist State, and their strategy will eventually lead to self-destruction. At some point the Thais will decide that enough is enough and will carry out raids with extreme prejudice. We are nowhere near that point in time as yet.

I live in the deep south and have seen first hand the drug abuse, I am aware of the contraban being smuggled across this porous border. There is a multiheaded monster who's needs to keep this area unstable. The Cretin's are these armchair critics who know nothing about the situation but feel the need to deminish the Thai's.

Beameup,

would you like to give us your opinion on how this situation could be diffused. I for one cannot see an end to the violence until the 3 southern states have some sort of autonomy. Which may never happen in our generation.Are you suggesting that underworld figures are fuelling this violence to ensure their illegal businesses stay out of the reach of the law?

[beammeup]

The strategy of islamic insurgents... is working perfectly.

And if you read the comment of Defense minister, you'll understand that Thai are likely to loose the battle : "The separatists trick the youths into using drugs and the addicts are then sent out to cause trouble"

This analysis is mind boggling !

Despite the ridiculous analysis by some Thai cretin, the insurgents will never win the larger battle, which is independence from the Buddhist State, and their strategy will eventually lead to self-destruction. At some point the Thais will decide that enough is enough and will carry out raids with extreme prejudice. We are nowhere near that point in time as yet.

I live in the deep south and have seen first hand the drug abuse, I am aware of the contraban being smuggled across this porous border. There is a multiheaded monster who's needs to keep this area unstable. The Cretin's are these armchair critics who know nothing about the situation but feel the need to deminish the Thai's.

Beameup,

would you like to give us your opinion on how this situation could be diffused. I for one cannot see an end to the violence until the 3 southern states have some sort of autonomy. Which may never happen in our generation.Are you suggesting that underworld figures are fuelling this violence to ensure their illegal businesses stay out of the reach of the law?

Back in the 70's they blamed the Comunists for keeping this area unstable, this area has always been unstable. As long as society keeps expanding and encroching on their illegal activities (trafficing drugs weapons Deisel tropical birds Orangutangs stolen motorbikes car etc...), the violence will continue. Maybe one day there busness will become unproffitable, then it will stop. The multi headed monster may include the Ache rebels the malay rubber barons, malaysian government, the Thai army, police, mafia, Islamic separatists (various flavours), maybe even the CIA DEA KGB MI5 OK maybe I am getting a little caried away here, but you get the picture!

[bingobongo]

There are fears that Islamic militants will step up their attacks when the U.S. holds its annual Cobra Gold military exercise in Thailand -- both to strike against Washington and to embarrass the Bangkok government for its support of the U.S.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ed20070307a1.html

[Scott]

The situation in the south has no real or easy solution. It will take a lot of time. There are a lot of people who have a vested interest in keeping things unstable. First are the "underworld" figures such as drug smugglers, arms dealers and others would suffer if the area were stable.

The insurgents and some of the political/religious groups that are bent on separation/autonomy rely on violent means. Those who disagree with their politics or are of a different religion will leave if they can. Those who are too poor and remain are not much of a threat.

Finally, the real terrorists--whatever that means--and don't use the term as freely as some people do, are hel_l bent and determined to keep it unstable.

The social/psychological problem being dealt with as far as the separatists are concerned is that there very existence (including their religion and culture) is at stake and in threat of being destroyed. It isn't, but that is how they see it. Before they will let that happen, they will destroy everything they can. It's sort of a "If I can't have it, neither can you" mentality.

[h90]

The strategy of islamic insurgents... is working perfectly.

Enough to read this comment, today, from the Defense minister : "The reconciliation signals we have been sending out were ill-received. We have made little progress because we stuck with defensive tactics,

We need to play it the hard way"

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/04Mar2007_news10.php

Hardliners are going to take again the upper hand. More violence. And more violence, in reaction, from the militants. And more importantly : it's going to increase the rift between thais and the local population. I believe that's the key point.

And if you read the comment of Defense minister, you'll understand that Thai are likely to loose the battle : "The separatists trick the youths into using drugs and the addicts are then sent out to cause trouble"

This analysis is mind boggling !

I don't know one case where the hard way worked, beside killing everyone (also a way to make peace). The only way is to develop that areas so the crazy ones do not get support in the population anymore.

With the hard way, you kill wrong people, you get basically the same as the terrorists and in the eyes of the local people the terrorists get their defenders.

[keda]

There are fears that Islamic militants will step up their attacks when the U.S. holds its annual Cobra Gold military exercise in Thailand -- both to strike against Washington and to embarrass the Bangkok government for its support of the U.S. <a href="http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ed20070307a1.html" target="_blank">

</a>

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ed20070307a1.html

How comforting the perception that peaceloving Muslims are coerced into terrorism by the US coming to town, or because the Bkk government has ties with Washington. Naturally, this implies that if Bkk told the US to bugger off, southern terror would simply cease to exist, with the terrorists returning en masse to their formerly peaceable occupations.

[Ijustwannateach]

I think I'm about to impose a little progressive disciplinary action of my own on this thread.... please avoid even implicitly referring to ethnic groups as "animals" if there is even a chance it would seem like a race/religious insult. And please post commentary and response, not personal flames. Finger hovering above the warning button....

[John K]

I think I'm about to impose a little progressive disciplinary action of my own on this thread.... please avoid even implicitly referring to ethnic groups as "animals" if there is even a chance it would seem like a race/religious insult. And please post commentary and response, not personal flames. Finger hovering above the warning button....

Yes you are right that is why I never tied animals to any group as they are not all in one group and certainly not the whole group. I was wondering when the thread cleaning would happen.

[John K]

Extremists turn to attacks on the helpless

By Maluding Deeto and Muhammad Ayub Pathan

The increasing number of separatist attacks on women and children make it more important than ever that the government give serious attention to tackling the problems in the far South, a civic group said yesterday.

Speaking on the eve of National Women's Day, Lamai Manakarn said in the past six months militants had attacked many women and children.

In the past, the rebels had concentrated their attacks solely on state authorities.

This change of tactic could be seen as a move to gain the upper hand in the conflict and provoke religious clashes.

Ms Lamai, representing a civic group helping victims of the unrest in the deep South, said more than 2,000 women, mostly Muslim, had been widowed by the violence.

Without their husbands as breadwinners, the women had no choice but to leave home to get a job.

To mark National Women's Day today, the chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Saneh Chamarik, has presented awards to three outstanding women in human rights protection.

They include Yaena Salaemae, 49, of Tak Bai in Narathiwat, who was recognised for her dedication in healing the emotional wounds of violence-torn families and getting them access to assistance from state and private agencies.

In Yala yesterday, a pick-up truck carrying deputy provincial police commander Narasak Chiangsuk was wrecked by a roadside explosion as he returned from inspecting the scene of a beheading in Muang district.

Sathit Thong-in, 56, a rubber tapper was killed at a rubber plantation in tambon Tasae and his body set on fire.

His head was not found.

Pol Col Narasak, and a soldier accompanying him were wounded by the bomb blast.

Also in Yala, a married couple were shot dead at a rubber plantation in Bannang Sata district yesterday in another suspected militant attack.

The victims were identified as Ayu Masaloh, 50, and Nisoh Tohsoh, 60, both rubber tappers

Source: bangkok post

[keda]

I think I'm about to impose a little progressive disciplinary action of my own on this thread.... please avoid even implicitly referring to ethnic groups as "animals" if there is even a chance it would seem like a race/religious insult. And please post commentary and response, not personal flames. Finger hovering above the warning button....

Is it ok to refer to the southern Islamic terrorists as peacelovers, in line with the perception of TV's lib/left/loonies?

[pete_r]

I came across an article in Asia Times on China's strategy to deal with its own Muslim insurgency in Xinjiang. The article describes it as a carrot and stick approach. Be tough with the terrorists (somehow Chinese authorities manage to identify them), and at the same time integrate young people into the system before they are tempted to become insurgents. It could be the way to go for Thailand too.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/IB27Ad01.html

Chinese reportage on terrorism is notoriously problematic, at times imprecise or simply fabricated. For the skeptics, photos of a policeman killed in the raid were also released, showing emotional relatives amid a sea of People's Armed Police paying their final respects. Ironically, China's ability to kill or capture militants without social blowback demonstrates the significant degree to which it has won the population's "hearts and minds", however grudgingly.

China's successful efforts to keep the global jihad from spreading into its territory present a real challenge for al-Qaeda. The organization reportedly trained more than 1,000 Uighurs, a Turkic ethnic group that is predominantly Muslim, in camps in Afghanistan prior to September 11, 2001. In late December, al-Qaeda's No 2, Ayman al-Zawahiri, called for action against "occupation" governments ruling over Muslims, including reference to the plight of Uighurs in western China.

Yet despite this commitment of resources and rhetorical energy, Uighurs across Xinjiang's social spectrum explain that violent resistance is no longer a viable path. Many in Xinjiang believe that insurgents worsen Uighurs' plight by making the Chinese more fearful, thereby more repressive. Uighurs today increasingly participate in the Chinese system as local government and Communist Party officials, educators, informants and police.

[mogoso]

Extremists turn to attacks on the helpless

By Maluding Deeto and Muhammad Ayub Pathan

The increasing number of separatist attacks on women and children make it more important than ever that the government give serious attention to tackling the problems in the far South, a civic group said yesterday.

Speaking on the eve of National Women's Day, Lamai Manakarn said in the past six months militants had attacked many women and children.

In the past, the rebels had concentrated their attacks solely on state authorities.

This change of tactic could be seen as a move to gain the upper hand in the conflict and provoke religious clashes.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a favored technique used by islofascists throughout the world. Close up children and women can't fight back. The sorrow from grieving parents, spouses is extreme, the will to fight, to resist leaves them. They cannot fight those they don't know, they fear the unknown, they begin to want only peace, their love ones alive. They ask the gov't to give the islos what they want, we want peace, security, we want to live. Islam wins, inch by inch.

[yoshiwara]

it is somewhat amusing/embarrassing observing the Soggy Party members squirming in their own indecisiveness and wallowing up to their armpits in a blame culture...