At Least 78 Die After Thailand Riot

[mango]

Just caught the end of a report on BBC World about a riot in the South, said three people had been killed, shot i think, not sure thoug.

Anyone know anything? George?

Cheers Mango

[george]

6 Killed Amid Rioting in Southern Thailand

BANGKOK, Thailand: -- Security forces fired shots in the air and used water cannons and tear gas to disperse about 2,000 angry Muslim youths rioting in Thailand's troubled south Monday, leaving at least six people dead and 12 injured, an official said.

A protest to demand the release of six detained security guards turned violent earlier Monday, with demonstrators hurling rocks at a police station in southern Narathiwat province's Takbai district and overturning a military truck.

The rioters then tried to storm the building and a nearby district office during the six-hour melee. Police and soldiers responded by firing water cannons and tear gas, while shooting in the air to scatter the rioters.

"There are 12 injured and six dead," said Sirichai Pattananutaporn, Narathiwat's public health officer. He was unable to give more details about the deaths but said autopsy results would be available Tuesday. The casualties include one injured policeman.

One protester had been grazed by a bullet, said an emergency room official at Sungai Kolok hospital who asked not to be identified.

Local television footage showed soldiers dragging, kicking and hitting some of the protesters with their rifle butts. Near-constant gunfire can be heard in the background.

It also showed close-up footage of the body of a man who appeared to be dead, slumped over a cement planter with a large open wound on his head.

Meanwhile, the regional army commander, Lt. Gen. Pisarn Wattanawongkhiri, declared a curfew in the three southern provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat from 10 p.m. (1500 GMT) to 6 a.m. (2300 GMT), until further notice.

Authorities earlier stepped up security in the area, deploying more than 1,000 police officers and soldiers.

The incident prompted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to make an emergency trip to the area.

Thaksin said he wanted to visit the scene of the riot to "give the authorities moral support."

"I want to tell the Thai Muslims ... that I know about everything that goes on in the south, and I will absolutely not allow the authorities to harass the public," Thaksin told reporters. "But when the authorities set up laws, they have to be respected."

Southern Muslims have long complained about poverty and discrimination, especially in education and employment.

Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat - the only Muslim-dominated areas in predominantly Buddhist Thailand - have seen a wave of violence this year, with more than 360 people killed since January.

Authorities have blamed the bombings and drive-by shootings on a renewed separatist insurgency, which had died down after a government amnesty in the 1980s.

--AP 2004-10-25

[mango]

WOW your certainly on the ball mate, very fast indeed.

Cheers Mango

[george]

PM makes urgent visit to South

NARATHIWAT: – Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra urgently flied to Thailand's deep South this evening after an unrest at Tak Bai Police Station in Narathiwat Province.

The prime minister was accompanied by Defence Minister Gen. Sumpan Boonyanun, Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula and Secretary-General to the Prime Minister Yongyut Tiyapirat.

The Thai leader, who just returned from a three-day private trip to Hong Kong with his family this morning, made the urgent visit to the province after about 2,000 local people rounded up the police station in an attempt to press for the release of six inmates accused of gun theft.

The people claimed that they just wanted to visit the six inmates inside the police station's jail.

As more and more people besiezed the police station, the local police then realized that this was not an ordinary visit as they had claimed.

The six men have been accused of one of the worst acts of insurgency in the southern border region – the theft of guns from village defence volunteers.

As chaos erupted around the prison walls, soldiers and police officers fired into the air, while the visitors attempted to surge into the jail but were stopped by water from a fire engine.

This led to a clash between the local officers and the mob, resulting in dozens casualties--six died and about 44 were injured, 14 of whom are the local officers.

Eventually the local officers were able to close off all routes into the Tak Bai Police Station, but not before damages had been done to steel barriers and cars parked nearby.

The injured persons were then detained at the province' s Inkayuth Bariharn Camp.

To prevent further chaos or unrest, the Commanding General of the 4th Army Area Command, Gen. Pisal Watanawongkiri, later announced a curfew in the country's three southern border provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani from 10:00 p.m. to 06:00 a.m. until the situation returns to normal.

The temporary curfew takes effect as of today, according to local journalists.

The prime minister said he was informed that the situation in the police station had alreadly been under control.

"I was reported that the chaos has eased and the situation has been under control. But my visit to the province is aimed to call a meeting of local authorities to discuss the development in the region and to boost their morale", he told TNA.

The Thai leader also called for local people to respect the laws, vowing that the government would always protect innocent citizens.

He warned, however, that those who violoate the laws were to be arrested and faced legal action.

--TNA 2004-10-25

[Nam Kao]

Islam again, what a surprize

[eljeque]

Can these muslims fly?

How did 6 get killed by shots fired into the air?

Something else could have killed them, like a water-canon, but I doubt it. Nothing else was mentioned about how they were killed. Any ideas?

I am not saying that shooting someone who is storming a jail should be wrong, but I would rather read a more accurate report. If they were shot for storming the jail, then simply say so.

[britmaveric]

Well shots fired in the air eventually come down, so this is plausable, however most likely they were shot directly.

[sriracha john]

Can these muslims fly?

How did 6 get killed by shots fired into the air?

Something else could have killed them, like a water-canon, but I doubt it. Nothing else was mentioned about how they were killed. Any ideas?

I am not saying that shooting someone who is storming a jail should be wrong, but I would rather read a more accurate report. If they were shot for storming the jail, then simply say so.

The Nation:

Witnesses said they saw troops firing at protesters while officers in charge of dispersing the mob insisted that shots were fired into the air, but not at any human targets.

The bodies of all the men killed bore gunshots wounds.

“I saw soldiers fire at protestors, others kicked and used their rifle butts to hit them,” said one witness.

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

The police said the same about some of the deaths at the Mosque in April... The police don't like to flat out say they shot directly at people.

[Golf]

Ok, guys. How about this?

Troops fired to the air and for a while the bullets felt back and bored into the protester's bodies. The police officers and troops tried so hard to negotiate with them, but failed. So the got angry and fustrated. So they shot up to the air, hoping that the bullets will eventually fall and hit their targets. They are readical muslims and are not considerd "real" Thais after all. killing some of them wouldn't hurt.

Nice, humm? HEHEHE

[sriracha john]

Saw film footage this afternoon on a non-Thai news channel and it showed police rifle butting unarmed, non-fighting people who had surrendered and violently kicking and stomping people who were already facedown on the ground. Showed very brutal treatment that seemed very much overdone.

[Padkapow Guy]

Saw film footage this afternoon on a non-Thai news channel and it showed police rifle butting unarmed, non-fighting people who had surrendered and violently kicking and stomping people who were already facedown on the ground. Showed very brutal treatment that seemed very much overdone.

This makes it sound like they were innocent bystanders. If they were innocent they would have not been there. Maybe they became non-fighting after they realized they were going to lose they fight. Brutal treatment seems to be appropriate, it takes the fight out of them.

[Darth Bangkok]

Islam again, what a surprize

why do you suppose they are wrong just because they are muslim? everyone complains about the thai government on this site. what makes you think the gov't is 100% correct in this case? think about the way (some) foreigners complain about the way they are treated here. What if those same people were native to thailand, but treated the same way? would they not eventually get to the point of civic disobedience, or maybe worse? what if their protests are ignored for decades and their lives have no hope left?

I seem to remember reading about a story from 'farang land' a few hundred years ago. Something about 'no taxation without representation' and similar. that wound up in bloodshed and now we celebrate those events with barbecues and fireworks every July 4th. People back then probably said "puritans again, what a surprize"

[sriracha john]

Saw film footage this afternoon on a non-Thai news channel and it showed police rifle butting unarmed, non-fighting people who had surrendered and violently kicking and stomping people who were already facedown on the ground. Showed very brutal treatment that seemed very much overdone.

This makes it sound like they were innocent bystanders. If they were innocent they would have not been there. Maybe they became non-fighting after they realized they were going to lose they fight. Brutal treatment seems to be appropriate, it takes the fight out of them.

Can't agree that physical brutality will ever bring a resolution to the South. Any place that is ruled by absolute enforced submission has always been doomed to failure sooner or later.

The participants were certainly not innocent, but the response seemed quite out of proportion to their actions. They had indeed surrendered. At what point of submission can you not expect to have your head kicked? Similiar in many regards to the storming and massacre at the Mosque earlier this year. Although, the response was even more extreme this time around given that the protestors didn't have firearms, as in the Mosque incident. It reminded me of the Kent State University killings in the USA in the 1960's.

IMO, it's a matter of leadership failure. You can't get people to do your bidding endlessly at the end of a barrel.

[britmaveric]

Well actually this is one of the few issues I tend to agree on with the Thai Govt and they are handling it with an iron fist! Good on them- these radical sorts need to be sorted. Give them an inch they take a mile.

[astral]

Very sad new.

Perhaps the troops did over react, but what about the people who

incited this riot?

[sriracha john]

the Thai Govt and they are handling it with an iron fist!

If history is to be considered, that type of response during previous Thai military leaderships is not successful and those policies fail. Violent brutality will always spawn a yearning for freedom and historically people world-wide have acted on those yearnings. Perhaps if the government could open a truely meaningful dialogue and not just try to quiet the Muslims by throwing empty populist policies and money at the problem. By doing so, they reflect their lack of understanding about what the issues are. I seriously doubt that the current administration is capable of doing and that is why, in this long-standing issue, the level of activity has increased since January.

[meemiathai]

I think the point is if these people had really been suppressed. Or are they just having unrealistic demands like wanting to have their own country. thus making troubles. Anyone here knowledgeable enough to enlighen me what the truth is? It seems to me that wherever there are muslims there is trouble.(I don't want to think that way! but....)

[IamMaiC]

I think the point is if these people had really been suppressed. Or are they just having unrealistic demands like wanting to have their own country. thus making troubles. Anyone here knowledgeable enough to enlighen me what the truth is? It seems to me that wherever there are muslims there is trouble.(I don't want to think that way! but....)

What about the good muslim's In all the world not a one has said don't do this don't do terrorist acts. Or I may be wrong and they have said it but none of these acts have stopped.

In the states the muslim's call it racial profiling, but who in the end are responsible for all the trouble in the world??

[NedKelly]

99.99% of Thai people you talk to say they dont like the Southern Thais or dont trust them. So why not allow them their freedom ? Why so interested to control them ? Interesting concept I think !

[Highwayman]

At Least 78 Die After Thailand Riot

PATTANI: -- At least 78 people were suffocated or crushed to death after being arrested and packed into police trucks after a riot in southern Thailand, officials said Tuesday.

The announcement dramatically increased the death toll from the latest eruption of violence in Thailand's Muslim-dominated south to 84. Officials had earlier said that six people were shot to death during clashes Monday at a police station in Narathiwat province.

Dr. Pornthip Rojanasunan, a forensics expert who works for the Justice Ministry, told a news conference Tuesday that she and a team of doctors conducted autopsies on 78 bodies at an army camp in Pattani province and found that most of them had perished from suffocation.

The dead were among some 1,300 people arrested Monday following the police station riot.

Maj. Gen. Sinchai Nujsathit, deputy commander of the fourth army, said the victims may have died from suffocation "because we had more than 1,300 people packed into the six-wheel trucks."

He did not say how many trucks were used.

Manit Suthaporn, deputy permanent secretary of the Justice Ministry, said the victims probably suffocated because they were piled on top of each other in the vehicles.

The violence erupted Monday when about 2,000 Muslim youths demonstrated outside a police station in Narathiwat's Takbai district to demand the release of six detained men.

Police and military forces tried to disperse the rowdy crowd with gunshots, water cannons and tear gas. Six people were killed and several injured in the melee, army commander Gen. Pisarn Wattanawongkhiri said Tuesday.

Yahoo/AP

[kat]

I think the point is if these people had really been suppressed.  Or are they just having unrealistic demands like wanting to have their own country. thus making troubles.  Anyone here knowledgeable enough to enlighen me what the truth is?  It seems to me that wherever there are muslims there is trouble.(I don't want to think that way! but....)

I'm a little fuzzy on this issue right now, because I read about it a while ago, but basically Pattani was it's own country and they are ethnically and linguistically Malays.

I think the last changes have been quite recent as well, with the final acquisition by the Thais happening sometime between early to mid-20th century (this part I'm unclear about).

Also, Pattani was bargained away by the Malays during the whole concessionary colonization period when everyone was redefining borders and trading one piece of the pie for another. I believe Pattani fell under Siam's dominion after a deal was made concerning British designs on Malaysia's port (or pressure of some sort concerning territory and competition between the French).

Sorry I'm a little fuzzy on this right now, but it is roughly something like this.

Anyone remember the specifics?

[boris]

The BBC reports over 80 have been killed, many of them "crushed" or "suffocated".This follows the original report of 6 dead after "shots in the air".Now be prepared for the forest of lies which will spew from the Thai military.It's a moment of truth for Khun Thaksin who has elements of greatness in him.Will he rise to the occasion? I like to think he will.

[guran]

seemingly suffocated after being packed into busses.

[george]

Update:

Officials say 78 died after Thailand riot

TAKBAI: --At least 78 people were suffocated or crushed to death after being arrested and packed into police trucks after a riot in southern Thailand, officials said Tuesday.

The announcement dramatically increased the death toll from the latest eruption of violence in Thailand's Muslim-dominated south to 84. Officials had earlier said that six people were shot to death during clashes Monday at a police station in Narathiwat province.

Dr. Pornthip Rojanasunan, a forensics expert who works for the Justice Ministry, told a news conference Tuesday that she and a team of doctors conducted autopsies on 78 bodies at an army camp in Pattani province and found that most of them had perished from suffocation.

The dead were among some 1,300 people arrested Monday following the police station riot.

Maj. Gen. Sinchai Nujsathit, deputy commander of the fourth army, said the victims may have died from suffocation "because we had more than 1,300 people packed into the six-wheel trucks."

He did not say how many trucks were used.

Manit Suthaporn, deputy permanent secretary of the Justice Ministry, said the victims probably suffocated because they were piled on top of each other in the vehicles.

The violence erupted Monday when about 2,000 Muslim youths demonstrated outside a police station in Narathiwat's Takbai district to demand the release of six detained men.

Police and military forces tried to disperse the rowdy crowd with gunshots, water cannons and tear gas. Six people were killed and several injured in the melee, army commander Gen. Pisarn Wattanawongkhiri said Tuesday.

--AFT 2004-10-26

[kat]

How the ###### can you suffocate 78 people under arrest!!! Isn't it obvious that you don't stack people like chickens?

[guran]

Pattani seperatism

interesting reading , seemingly another people who the Brits failed..

[britmaveric]

Well guess those down South will think twice about rioting now

[qualtrough]

Are they trying to outdo the Burmese? They suffocated 41 students in trucks in 1988. This should really pacify the South!

[guran]

Well guess those down South will think twice about rioting now

perhaps they should have thought twice before trusting the Brits as well ?

[Ajarn]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/10/2...e.ap/index.html

What a seemingly stupid thing to do! I was watching the Thai TV news and it was all very rough handling from what I saw. In the first shot of so many lying face down, I thought they were all dead bodies...