International concern over South

New York (Agencies) -

Murderous attacks on teachers and violence against schools by separatist militants have seriously disrupted education in the deep South of Thailand, Human Rights Watch said early on Friday.

Officials in Narathiwat province have been forced to close more than 300 government schools in all 13 districts this week after insurgents killed three teachers on Monday.

Human Rights Watch said it believed those responsible were separatist militants, because of a long pattern of similar attacks on government schools and teachers, along with continuing public threats.

"Insurgents are terrorising teachers and schools, which they consider symbols of the Thai state," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, in a statement this morning (Thailand time). "These attacks are grave crimes and cannot be justified by any cause."

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"Insurgents are attempting to close down all government schools," Adams said. "Their campaign of terror strikes a serious blow to public education in the southern border provinces, which already retain the lowest test scores in Thailand."

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Group condemns Thai school attacks

June 15, 2007 : Last updated 11:46 am (Thai local time)

Human Rights Watch on Friday condemned attacks on teachers and schools by rebels in Thailand's restive south and urged the government to ensure security for children.

"Insurgents are terrorising teachers and schools, which they consider symbols of the Thai state," Brad Adams, Asia director at the US-based rights group, said in a statement.

"These attacks are grave crimes and cannot be justified by any cause," he said, urging the government to boost school security.

On Monday, two female Buddhist teachers were gunned down in front of children in a school library in Narathiwat, one of three insurgency-hit provinces bordering Malaysia.

Another male Buddhist teacher was shot dead at a grocery store in the province Monday.

Teachers and schools are often targeted by insurgents, who see them as trying to impose Buddhist Thai values on the Muslim and ethnic Malay region.

Two Muslim religious teachers were also killed during the week.

Authorities shut down more than 260 schools in the region after the violence, which included coordinated arson attacks on 13 schools Wednesday.

"Insurgents are attempting to close down all government schools," Adams said.

"Their campaign of terror strikes a serious blow to public education in the southern border provinces, which already retain the lowest test scores in Thailand," he said.

The latest arson attacks brought the number of schools torched by rebels to more than 200, while 77 teachers have been killed in the insurgency, according to education officials.

Agence France-Presse