More Killings In Southern Thailand

[Mid]

Eight killed in southern Thailand

Wednesday, 14 March 2007, 04:12 GMT

Eight people have been killed in an attack on a minibus in southern Thailand, police have said.

The incident, which also left one person injured, has been blamed on suspected Islamic insurgents.

The minibus was taking people from the province of Yala to Hat Yai, the south's major city, in the neighbouring province of Songkhla.

no more Malaysia visa runs for me ..................

[Jai Dee]

Yala insurgents fire on passenger bus, 8 killed

Yala insurgents opened fire on a passenger bus on the Betong-Hat Yai (เบตง – หาดใหญ่) route, killing 8 and injuring 1.

At 8:10 AM today (March 14) a passenger bus owned by the Betong Tour company was fired upon as it was traveling on the Betong-Hat Yai (เบตง – หาดใหญ่) route in Yaha (ยะหา) district of Yala province. Authorities confirm at least 8 fatalities and 1 injury.

The bus was revealed to have departed from Betong district at 6 AM, with Mr. Abdulmana Kowthae (อับดุลมานะ กอเด๊ะ) as the driver and a full load of passengers. The vehicle ran over several tire tacks as it reached the Banangsata-Yaha (บันนังสตา – ยะหา) road and Mr. Abdulmana was forced to stop. At that moment an unknown number of insurgents opened fire at the vehicle with M-16 assault rifles.

Mr. Abdulmana reported that he attempted to drive away from the scene but was hampered by a tree which was blocking the road. Luckily Ranger units from the 4102 Special Task Force were nearby and responded to the incident. Explosives set by insurgent forces caused injuries to some Ranger personnel.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 14 March 2007

[Jai Dee]

Nine passengers massacred by Muslim insurgents

Yala - Muslim insurgents massacred all the nine passengers in a van in this southern border province in cold blood Wednesday morning, police said.

Police quoted the van driver, who managed to flee on foot as saying that the van was stopped by a falling tree on a village road in Yala's Yaha district at 9 am.

The van was taking nine passengers from Yala's Betong to Songkhla's Hat Yai district.

The driver told police that when he saw the tree blocking the road he tried to make detour to flee from the scene but an unknown number of insurgents jumped out of roadside bushes and blocked the van.

The drive left his vehicle and ran for his life.

He said the insurgents shot the heads of the nine passengers in point blank.

Eight of them died at the scene and the other died at a hospital.

Among the slain passengers were two children aging nine and ten years old.

Source: The Nation - 14 March 2007

[Tornado]

what can you say?!

visa runs, tourism and the weekend jaunts for the locals will be definately be over for that region.

I wonder if any were foreigners.

These are very brave people killing indiscriminately!

Time to send in a kill force and take them all out, I never thought I would say it, but just kill any and all in the area. bastards.

[jdinasia]

kinda out of character for the insurgency in the south so far ..... could easily be something else.

[lingling]

Nine passengers massacred by Muslim insurgents

Yala - Muslim insurgents massacred all the nine passengers in a van in this southern border province in cold blood Wednesday morning, police said.

Police quoted the van driver, who managed to flee on foot as saying that the van was stopped by a falling tree on a village road in Yala's Yaha district at 9 am.

The van was taking nine passengers from Yala's Betong to Songkhla's Hat Yai district.

The driver told police that when he saw the tree blocking the road he tried to make detour to flee from the scene but an unknown number of insurgents jumped out of roadside bushes and blocked the van.

The drive left his vehicle and ran for his life.

He said the insurgents shot the heads of the nine passengers in point blank.

Eight of them died at the scene and the other died at a hospital.

Among the slain passengers were two children aging nine and ten years old.

Source: The Nation - 14 March 2007

How convenient that the driver somehow made it. Sounds like a made up story.

[Master of the court]

Nine passengers massacred by Muslim insurgents

Yala - Muslim insurgents massacred all the nine passengers in a van in this southern border province in cold blood Wednesday morning, police said.

Police quoted the van driver, who managed to flee on foot as saying that the van was stopped by a falling tree on a village road in Yala's Yaha district at 9 am.

The van was taking nine passengers from Yala's Betong to Songkhla's Hat Yai district.

The driver told police that when he saw the tree blocking the road he tried to make detour to flee from the scene but an unknown number of insurgents jumped out of roadside bushes and blocked the van.

The drive left his vehicle and ran for his life.

He said the insurgents shot the heads of the nine passengers in point blank.

Eight of them died at the scene and the other died at a hospital.

Among the slain passengers were two children aging nine and ten years old.

Source: The Nation - 14 March 2007

How convenient that the driver somehow made it. Sounds like a made up story.

Each time its mentioned shortly in CNN............but howcome it cant be BIG NEWS worldwide.....????? So many killings , and the Goverment does very little...and with so many intl. turists.....why why why......who can shake up the big news medias ?? Then "maybe" the thais will start to do something about it..........maybe

[Jai Dee]

Police: 8 killed in Thai van attack

Suspected Muslim insurgents bombed a commuter van in Thailand's restive south on Wednesday and then shot dead eight passengers, police said.

The driver of the van was wounded in the attack, which took place about 9:30 a.m. local time (0230 GMT), said police Col. Apirak Sangkao, chief of police in the Yaha district of Yala province, where the violence occurred.

The van was shuttling people from the Betong district of Yala province to Hat Yai, the south's major city, in the neighboring province of Songkhla.

Suspected insurgents hurled a bomb at the van as it slowed into a curve in the road and then shot and wounded the driver, said police duty officer Lt. Kitti Mankhong. The attackers then opened the side door of the van and shot each of the passengers with assault rifles, he said.

Police and soldiers were searching for the attackers, he said.

The attack came as authorities beefed up security for the Tuesday anniversary of the founding of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional, or National Revolution Front separatist group. Police had warned that insurgents might try to mark the anniversary with violence.

The BRN was formed in 1963, partly in opposition to the Thai government's policy at the time of forcing southern Muslims to assimilate into predominantly Buddhist Thai society. The government later changed the policy.

Military officials believed that BRN-Coordinate, a BRN offshoot, has played a vital role in the current violence.

Drive-by shootings and bombings occur almost daily in Thailand's three Muslim-majority provinces -- Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani -- where an Islamic insurgency that flared up in January 2004 has killed more than 2,000 people.

Source: AP - 14 March 2007

[jdinasia]

That doesn't match the initial reports

[andook]

Sounds rather manufactured to me also....

[ChiangMaiAmerican]

I have never seen nor heard of the Thai Army using dogs trained for military service. It is a low tech solution that might yield some results in locating makeshift bases and tracking terrorists. The US among other countries has used specially trained large breed dogs in the field in every major conflict beginning with WWII. Earlier conflicts also had a limited number of dogs. During WWII one dog located a camoflaged Japanese encampment which allowed the Marines he was attached to to eliminate the enemy without a single casualty. Another dog in the Eurpoean theatre attacked a German pillbox and managed to subdue the entire crew. During the Vietnam war another dog alerted his handler shortly after which both were shot. The dog continued to attact the enemy despite a head wound which allowed his handler to radio for reinforcements. The dog then crawled to his handler and protected him until both were transported for treatment.

While using dogs wouldn't solve the entire problem it might allow capture of some of the perpetrators and help prevent situations like the one today.

Edited March 14, 2007 by ChiangMaiAmerican

[Jai Dee]

Thai militant bus attack kills 8 in Muslim south

YALA, Thailand, March 14 (Reuters) - Suspected insurgents killed eight Buddhists and wounded two people in Thailand's rebellious Muslim south on Wednesday in an unusual attack on a civilian minibus, an army spokesman said. At least five militants sprayed the minibus with automatic rifle fire on highway in Yala, one of the three provinces hit by a three-year separatist insurgency, as it tried to escape the ambush in a rubber plantation, Colonel Acra Tiproch said.

"They blocked the road with a tree trunk and sprayed the van with automatic rifles as the driver was making a U-turn to avoid the danger," Acra told Reuters by telephone.

The attack took place on the anniversary of the founding of the separatist Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), or National Revolutionary Front, which the government had feared would be marked by an increase in violence.

The four men, two women, a boy and a girl were each hit by several bullets, some in the head, a Reuters reporter at the scene said.

The minibus was headed for Hat Yai, the commercial capital of the south, from Betong on the Malaysian border.

A severely wounded Buddhist woman was taken straight into surgery and the Muslim driver, the only other person on the minibus, escaped with minor wounds, Acra said.

Australia has issued two travel alerts for Thailand in the past few weeks, saying intelligence pointed to a high threat of extremist bombs attacks.

Security forces were on full alert in Bangkok, where a wave of still unsolved bombs killed three people on New Year's Eve, but Thai army commanders said they had no reason to believe the capital would be a target.

"RED ZONE"

They did, however, say they expected a spike in violence in the far south, an independent sultanate until annexed by overwhelmingly Buddhist Thailand a century ago.

Security concerns were sufficiently high to affect the Thai stock market, where analysts cited them as a factor in expections the main index SETI would fall in the wake of a Wall Street tumble. At the midday break, the index was down 0.39 percent.

Already this week, a Myanmar migrant worker has been beheaded, several schools -- often targeted as a symbol of the Bangkok government -- burned down and a bomb set off at a busy morning market in the far south.

Those were typical of the daily attacks in the region, where more than 2,000 people have been killed in the latest separatist insurgency which erupted in January 2004.

The attack on the minibus, however, was not typical of the methods of insurgents who never claim responsibility or set out their aims in public.

The militants usually strike against security forces or individuals suspected of dealing with the government in the largely Malay-speaking region.

Wednesday's attack, in an area classified as a "red zone" where support for the militants is strong and where security forces have been ambushed, may have been carried out by inexperienced insurgents, Acra said.

"The militants, probably newly-trained youths, picked the van as the target because those people couldn't fight back and they could avoid sustaining casualties," he said.

A bomb left at the scene was typical of militant methods, aimed at inflicting casualties on security forces arriving to investigate an attack.

This one, however, was not planted close enough to wound anyone when it exploded, Arca said.

Source: Reuters - 14 March 2007

[Jai Dee]

MOI condemns insurgent attack on passenger bus

The Minister of Interior has condemned an insurgent attack on a passenger bus in Yala province.

Minister of Interior Aree Wongarya (อารีย์ วงศ์อารยะ), has condemned an insurgent attack on a passenger bus on the Betong-Hat Yai (เบตง-หาดใหญ่) road in Yala province which left 8 passengers dead early this morning (March 14). Mr. Aree said that the attack was totally irresponsible and aimless due to its target of innocent citizens.

Mr. Aree believes that insurgents should not emulate the tactics of international terrorist organizations as Thailand does not have the same issues as other nations. The minister said that separatist movements or the BRN anniversary were not valid reasons for carrying out such an audacious attack. He added that authorities would need to utilize a systematic method of detaining and processing women and child protesters so as not to upset local communities.

The Minister of the Interior added that the Chairman of the Democrat Party Advisory Council, Mr. Chuan Leekpai, was entitled to his opinion that a Minister for Southern Affairs be appointed to handle the southern violence. Mr. Aree said that the current government was doing its utmost to resolve the southern unrest, and that proposals to appoint such as minister would need to be handled by the new administration.

Mr. Aree added that the government is expediting anti-corruption practices in respones to the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) company's ranking of Thailand as one of the most corrupt nations in the world.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 14 March 2007

[bolognamare]

"They blocked the road with a tree trunk and sprayed the van with automatic rifles as the driver was making a U-turn to avoid the danger," Acra told Reuters by telephone.

Is it possible to quantify the gun diffusion in Thailand?

Can a thai citizen buy a gun without problems?

Is it like in USA?

What does the law say about gun owning?

Where the south of Thailand start to be unsafe? Songkhla?

Next month i have to buy flight tickets to spend a relaxing holiday with my wife and i'd like to evaluate better the risks involved.

Edited March 14, 2007 by bolognamare

[IMChris]

I wonder if we could carry guns, would they try to attack a Van full of people with guns. I think not. Cowards only attack the weak.

[Mid]

Mr. Aree believes that insurgents should not emulate the tactics of international terrorist organizations as Thailand does not have the same issues as other nations.

Dear Mr Aree ,

Please open they eyes

mid

[cclub75]

You see... When people tell you that Islam is a religion of "love and peace"...

The militants captured the driver and forced him to lie on the ground. He prayed to ask protection from Allah and thus the militants realised he was a Muslim and let him go.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/03/14...es_30029282.php

Edited March 14, 2007 by cclub75

[Dupont]

Thats another two children and two women. Sounds just like the cowards to me.

In western culture, women and children first means thats who gets saved first, always has been and lots of chivalry down the years kept this going.

Trouble is, some areas of the world are infested with cowards and weak willed easily led un-educated morons. They are kept well hidden by like minded civillians in the area.

Still people blaming the Thai Authorities as well, thats the other incredible thing.

I'm still for letting em have the dump, pull out all the infrastucture, wait till they form a government (which they won't as they will be too busy factional fighting) then blow the whole lot of em up, with as many of their cowardly covering up supporters as possible.

[Mid]

solves what ?

just moves the problem a couple of kilometers closer to Bangkok ..................................

[markg]

The militants captured the driver and forced him to lie on the ground. He prayed to ask protection from Allah and thus the militants realised he was a Muslim and let him go.

Anyone know the words to this?

Also where i can get a circumcision?

I've been growing a beard for a couple of weeks now and it's impressive.

I'm going to Had Yai next week you see..................

Don't be scared people, but evaluate the risks. To the poster asking is it safe for your holiday. No - not really - just go somewhere else instead. Lots of other places to relax and why expose yourself to danger.

But also dont forget, New york, madrid, london, manchester etc etc.

You evaluate the danger - but it dont make it completely safe.

Now - about that prayer?

[John K]

what can you say?!

visa runs, tourism and the weekend jaunts for the locals will be definately be over for that region.

I wonder if any were foreigners.

These are very brave people killing indiscriminately!

Time to send in a kill force and take them all out, I never thought I would say it, but just kill any and all in the area. bastards.

Unfortunately more and more people are seeing it in the same eyes as you. An act of nature does not selectively kill just one group and the deeper we are pushed into our instinctual side for survival the more this becomes the correct plan of action. Going after children changes the formula so terror is canceled out and replace with something else so that is the wrong strategy on the part of the Animals.

One problem is it’s a very small percentage of the population is making the problems. There is a saying that I find to be generally true. “80% of the problems come from 20% of the people.”

I suspect the number here is much lower than 20%.

[Tony Clifton]

I have never seen nor heard of the Thai Army using dogs trained for military service. It is a low tech solution that might yield some results in locating makeshift bases and tracking terrorists. The US among other countries has used specially trained large breed dogs in the field in every major conflict beginning with WWII. Earlier conflicts also had a limited number of dogs. During WWII one dog located a camoflaged Japanese encampment which allowed the Marines he was attached to to eliminate the enemy without a single casualty. Another dog in the Eurpoean theatre attacked a German pillbox and managed to subdue the entire crew. During the Vietnam war another dog alerted his handler shortly after which both were shot. The dog continued to attact the enemy despite a head wound which allowed his handler to radio for reinforcements. The dog then crawled to his handler and protected him until both were transported for treatment.

While using dogs wouldn't solve the entire problem it might allow capture of some of the perpetrators and help prevent situations like the one today.

Dogs? Man's best friend doesn't deserve hunting down these scumbags.

I'd opt for hungry and trained farm or wild pigs on this lot.

[qualtrough]

what can you say?!

visa runs, tourism and the weekend jaunts for the locals will be definately be over for that region.

I wonder if any were foreigners.

These are very brave people killing indiscriminately!

Time to send in a kill force and take them all out, I never thought I would say it, but just kill any and all in the area. bastards.

'kill any and all in the area?' I imagine that's what the people who committed this crime were thinking too. Sounds like you have a lot in common, keyboard warrior!

Edited March 14, 2007 by qualtrough

[cclub75]

Unfortunately more and more people are seeing it in the same eyes as you. An act of nature does not selectively kill just one group and the deeper we are pushed into our instinctual side for survival the more this becomes the correct plan of action. Going after children changes the formula so terror is canceled out and replace with something else so that is the wrong strategy on the part of the Animals.

Indeed.

And for that regard, the strategy of the "insurgents" is perfect...

This massacre will call some heavy handed reactions from thai security forces : more massacres. More hatery, etc. Irak style.

And then, the insurgents will really bomb Bangkok...

And eventually, muslims will win : all the boudhists civilians will leave the south.

[ourmanflint]

having returned to the UK recently, news like this makes me very sad. There are a lot of disparate events in Thailand which are conspiring to making it more and more unattractive as a place to plan your annual holiday.

There cannot be a peaceful soultion to this debacle in the south, as that would result in Thailand ceding Pattani to Malaysia, which is not an option. The only alternative therefore is to remove the problem at source, and yes unfortunately that does mean operations similar to those performed by the British Army in Ireland and elsewhere. Simply put, the Thai gov't need lots of surveillance and then decisive action in the form of snatch and kill squads.

Those that believe there are other ways out of this are deluding themselves and putting the lives of the Buddhist population of Pattani in the front line of danger, whilst they sip their beer and smile to themselves that they have it good.

Very sad...

[Jai Dee]

13 injured after Yala insurgents bomb mosque

Yala insurgents threw grenades into a mosque at 8:15 PM yesterday (March 14), causing 13 injuries.

Authorities report that at 8:15 PM last night (March 14), an unknown number of insurgents threw grenades into the Ban Sea Sae (บ้านซีเซ๊ะ) mosque in Yaha (ยะหา) district of Yala province causing injuries to people inside. Shortly after the incident, Yaha District Chief Officer Supanarat Siranthawinate (สุพรรณรัฐ สิรันทวิเนต), and Deputy Superintendent of Yaha precinct Pol Lt Col Prasom Ruangthu (ประสม หลวงทู) arrived at the crime scene to conduct investigations.

Officials confirmed 13 injured victims from a total of 50-60 men who were conducting relgious ceremonies at the mosque. Eyewitness reports indicate that insurgents in a passing vehicle threw grenades into the crowd as they were departing from the ceremonies. Authorities believe the incident to be the work of separatist groups attempting to create unrest.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 15 March 2007

[Jai Dee]

Yala insurgents bomb tea shop

Yala insurgents threw explosives into a tea shop before opening fire on local bystanders.

Authorities report that at 9:30 PM last night (March 14), an unknown number of insurgents threw explosives into a tea shop in Ban Paderu (ปะเดรู ), Yaha (ยะหา) district of Yala province, before using assault weaponry to open fire on local bystanders.

Police respones units immediately converged upon the scene after being notified of the attack. Officers report that 1 victim expired at the scene, while 11 others were injured. All injured bystanders were transported to the Somdej Prayuparaj Yaha (สมเด็จพระยุพราชยะหา) hospital, where one victim succumbed to his injuries and passed away.

Investigations revealed that as local residents were drinking tea, at least four armed men aboard a blue vehicle threw explosives into the shop, and immediately began shooting. Authorities believe the incident to be the work of separatist groups intent on creating unrest.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 15 March 2007

[Jai Dee]

Brutality in the South has taken a new turn

The massacre of eight commuter van passengers in Yala suggests the situation in the Deep South is taking a turn for the worse and the government is powerless to stop it.

Some observations can explain the new course of hostilities.

First, terrorism is used to attack "soft targets", as is often seen in war zones in foreign countries. The South militants are using more and more brutality to create a climate of fear among residents. Beheadings and burnings alive have become commonplace for the restive region. The militants are taking up new, cruel methods of warfare. Unlike the old generation of separatists, the insurgents these days don't want people to love them, but fear them.

Second, the rebels' decision to target transport is a big blow to the daily life of the locals. They are showing us that from now on there is no longer a safe way to move about. Attacks on trains, buses and airports have already scared travellers. The ubiquitous shuttle van is now not without its dangers either.

Third, yesterday's well-planned operation was carried out with uncanny precision, as the assailants were able to pinpoint a specific target. A military officer even admitted that the attackers had good information on the shuttle schedule and chose a good location for the ambush. The killing site was not far from a ranger station but the fighters managed to execute almost all the occupants and make their escape before the troops could arrive. They also planted a bomb to delay the pursuing rangers.

Finally, the incident took place during a week of high risk. Authori-ties have warned that militants might launch a series of major assaults during the days of March 13-15, which mark the founding anniversary of the separatist group Barisan Revo-lusi Nasional. Despite the alarms and beefed-up security, the slaughter took place and thus has demonstrated the failure of the authorities.

Source: The Nation - 15 March 2007

[John K]

Where have all the human rights advocacy groups gone?

In the wake of Wednesday's massacre of eight innocent civilians in a public van, is it about time the government to rethink peace talks with the murderous insurgents and to be more decisive against the insurgents

bangkokpost.com

by Veera Prateepchaikul

How long can we, the people, tolerate the seemingly endless senseless killings of our brothers and sisters, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, in the Deep South?

The massacre of eight people, including five females, after the van in which they were travelling from Betong district of Yala province to Hat Yai district of Songkhla province was ambushed by Islamic insurgents on Wednesday appears to have driven pushed the tolerance of quite a few people beyond the limits. These peace-loving people took to the streets in Chumphon, Chiang Rai and several other provinces to condemn the murderous insurgents for their brutal killings of the innocent civilians.

Surprisingly though, human rights advocacy groups who would normally scream foul play the loudest when a Muslim was killed by government forces were completely silent over the Wednesday's massacre. None of them joined the protests to condemn the insurgents. Did the silence amount to double standard practice?

The massacre of the eight van passengers who was each shot in the head in point-blank clearly speaks volume that the insurgents have no regard whatsoever on human lives. Nor are they interested in the olive branch offered by the government. All Buddhists in the three strife-torn southernmost provinces are regarded as their enemies who have to be exterminated.

Thus, it is pointless for the authorities to talk peace with these killers who have no desire to co-exist harmonously with their countrymen of the other religious faiths. It seems the only language they understand is the use of force.

The insurgents have brought terror to the urban and rural communities in the Deep South as well as some parts of Songkhla to the point that there are no places which are safe. Is it about time for government forces to bring the war into insurgents-infested territories and to secure safety, for a starter, in urban communities.

More paramilitary rangers are to be deployed in the Deep South to counter the insurgency. But reinforcements alone without the imposition of some tough measures such as curfew will not be enough to deal with the problem. Curfew, say from 10 p.m. to 4 or 5 a.m. of the next day, should be imposed in the municipal areas where business and commercial interests are concentrate, will help in restricting the movements of the insurgents who have been successful in planting bombs under cover of darkness in municipal areas. Since not many urban residents venture out at night, the curfew will not add more hardship on them. And if the authorites are not quite sure whether the residents will accept the curfew or not, they can conduct an opinion poll to guage their opinions. If the curfew works, it can be gradually extended to outlying areas.

[John K]

The more you read about this the more obvious it becomes that less and less people are accepting what there animals are doing. As I said the animals are choosing their own fate. If they can’t coexist, and they can negotiate there is little choice left as to what to do with them.