Thai Official Beheaded In The South

[cojones]

Thai local official beheaded in revenge for deaths of 85 Muslims

01:29 PM EST Nov 02

SUTIN WANNABOVORN

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - A local Buddhist official was beheaded by suspected Muslim insurgents as revenge for the deaths of 85 rioters in Thailand's mainly Muslim south last week, police said Tuesday.

The head of Jaran Torae, an assistant village leader, was left Tuesday on a roadside with a letter attached saying the killers were avenging the deaths of Muslim rioters in a confrontation with government forces, said police Lieut. Krit Boonyarith.

Police found Jaran's corpse in a rubber plantation about a kilometre from where his head was discovered, Krit said.

"This is revenge for the innocent Muslim youths who were massacred at the Tak Bai protest," the handwritten letter reportedly said.

Jaran, 58, an official in Sukhirin district of Narathiwat province, went missing late Monday, police said. He was shot in the chest, and police believed his head was cut off after his death.

The 85 deaths during an Oct. 25 riot at Tak Bai in Narathiwat province have fuelled anger among southern Thailand's Muslim majority, where many complain of discrimination at the hands of the country's Buddhist majority.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's government has come under severe domestic and international criticism for its handling of the riot, during which seven people were killed by gunfire and 78 others were crushed to death or suffocated after being detained and packed into military trucks.

With the government under pressure to take action, the army general in charge of security in the south - seen as a hardliner against Muslim insurgents there - was transferred to an inactive post Tuesday.

Narathiwat is one of three Muslim-dominated provinces in the south that have been racked by violence the government blames on Muslim militants seeking a separate state. More than 400 people, many of them policemen, have died this year in the region. Muslims account for about five per cent of predominantly Buddhist Thailand's population.

The transfer of Lt.-Gen. Pisarn Wattanawongkhiri came shortly after the government announced it had established an 11-member panel to investigate the incident at Tak Bai. It will be headed by Pichet Sunthonpiphit, a legal expert and former ombudsman of Parliament, and will include at least three Muslims. The panel is expected to report in 30 days.

Pisarn, who was appointed to his current post in April, will be replaced by a deputy commander, who has not yet been selected, said army spokesman Maj. Jitanat Poonnotop.

Pisarn told a news conference Tuesday he asked to be moved to army headquarters to allow the investigation to proceed. "I am prepared to take responsibility if the committee finds that I am to blame for what happened," he said.

Also Tuesday, a gunman on a motorcycle seriously wounded a Buddhist man, Vitaya Chankong, as he rode home from a market on a motorcycle with his wife and five-year-old son in the province's Bajor district, said police Col. Somchai Sawatsak.

In April, another violent government suppression of Muslims was also followed by the beheading of an assistant village headman in Narathiwat.

On April 28, police and soldiers killed 107 suspected militants who attacked police posts in a failed attempt to seize firearms.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

[britmaveric]

Uh oh! Bad move- Not very wise beheading- now those lot down south are going to be associated with those nutters in Iraq.

[Steely Dan]

Uh oh!    Bad move- Not very wise beheading- now those lot down south are going to be associated with those nutters in Iraq.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think the association has alas already been made. I've stated already how ineptly the Thai authorities have handled the recent riot but the southern muslims adopting fundamentalist tactics means their (legitimate?) grievences can not be met or it would send a message to all disaffected minorities to adopt similar tactics. We are now playing for high stakes both in Thailand and on the wider world stage.

[JemJem]

Let's hope the cycle of violence will stop soon........but I guess this wish is a bit too optimistic for the time being. The sad thing is that as we all know, the percentage of 'Islamist extremists' in Thailand is actually very small but radical preachers and terrorist heads are using incidents like last week's deaths to gain sympathisers and worse, active participants to Islamist terrorism. The government and the Army/Police should tow a very careful line, and root out the terrorists using 'intelligence' as much as possible and also using plenty of covert operations. Care should be taken not to harm or offend innocent people.

I personally think that the situation in the South will not go into too much chaos.......unfortunately there will still be several incidents and deaths to both civilians and army/police but the possibility of Islamist extremism becoming popular among a significant number of Thai Muslims is very small.

I personally think, just like Samuel Huntington states in his book ''The Clash of Civilizations'',that Islamist extremism will fail to be a significant factor, as years pass and maybe 15-20 years from now, it will have negligible appeal among the Muslim masses.

Regards,

Jem

[stroll]

This is very sad.

And wrong, one wrong does not justify another.

QUOTE(britmaveric @ 2004-11-03 01:48:11)

Uh oh!  ohmy.gif  Bad move- Not very wise beheading- now those lot down south are going to be associated with those nutters in Iraq.

*

I think the association has alas already been made. I've stated already how ineptly the Thai authorities have handled the recent riot but the southern muslims adopting fundamentalist tactics means their (legitimate?) grievences can not be met or it would send a message to all disaffected minorities to adopt similar tactics. We are now playing for high stakes both in Thailand and on the wider world stage.

The association is unjustified.

The guys in Iraq made demands, and the live decapitation was conditional, demands not met=decapitation.

In Thailand the killing and subsequent beheading was not conditional, no demands were made which if met could have prevented the death. This was a revenge killing.

I repeat: The monk was first shot, then beheaded, the event was not dependant on any demands being met, it was a revenge killing.

I do not justify nor condone this. I am pointing out the differences to the acts in Iraq.

[penzman]

Oh great... now they`ve resorted to beheadings. Imitating distant and idiotic radical muslims will never get them anywhere. If they keep this up then I wish them all the misery in the world for their own stupidity will only will bring it upon themselves.

Muslims are now creating unrest in China, a Dutch filmaker was stabbed then shot to death today, 14 were killed again in Algeria. Busy and angry little buggers aren`t they?

[stroll]

Ignorant and angry little poster, aren't you?

[SoCal]

I guess some are not as content by what they see Stroll, as you appear to be.

[stroll]

I guess 'some' only see what they want to see, including yourself, you even see something which isn't there in my comment. Thank you for illustrating the point I've just made.

[SoCal]

I just don't know why you call him ignorant. That seems awfully uncalled for.

As for angry, people should be upset.

If the muslims in the south want to isolate evereyone in Thailand, keep killing Budhist leaders.

[Ijustwannateach]

^Socal... this is the kind of mindset that terrorists want. You're assuming that it's "muslims in the south" who are beheading people and creating problems. In fact, as Jemjem says, it's probably a small group of violent extremists who may not even be particularly devout Muslims. They simply use the unrest and discord of these attacks to play on the assumptions and bigotry of the masses (for example, beliefs like "Muslims are violent barbarians... Thai people hate Muslims...." etc.) to strike up a conflict where there is no reason for one- then they use the opportunity to grab power when the conflict becomes general... same thing happened in India/Pakistan... same thing in Serbia/Bosnia... if you think it's regular people starting these attacks, you've played into the hands of the terrorists- and sadly, because of this, your beliefs will become self-fulfilling prophecy.

"Steven"

[DJ Pat]

What I'm trying to put across here is that you can never teach these people to be civilised. And even a small minority of normal muslims are becoming brainwashed.

In London I lived in Finsbury Park where that hookhanded guy delivered his sermons of filth at that infamous mosque. And what was roaming the streets on fridays? White gowned muslim lads in their early 20s shouting around the streets "Jihad Jihad Jihad" and blowing aerosol trumpets in supermarkets and shops deliberately trying to intimidate people into reacting against them. One black guy chinned one of them once in the off license and their mates did sod all. They ran off screaming "Help our brothers"

I had a mate whose younger sister was going out with a guy like this, who started to get to my mate (who is half Iranian) and brainwash him with all that stuff. My mate explained to me about how addictive it was and how the guy had threatened to beat him up and rape his sister if he didn't hand out "Jihad" leaflets for him outside Safeways in Hackney.

I advised my mate to stand up for himself and smack the ######. He didn't so a few guys I know followed him to Brighton and smacked him up for him (I wasn't there). My mate ended up sectioned in Whittington Hospital Waterlow Unit.

[IamMaiC]

Let's hope the Cycle of violence will end soon?? Your Kidding Right?? This is just the beginning, When are you people gonna wake up?? You think you can bargain with people that are not afraid to die?? I suggest all you expats get a gun if of course your allowed to in Thailand. Not sure on that one.

[IamMaiC]

Uh oh!    Bad move- Not very wise beheading- now those lot down south are going to be associated with those nutters in Iraq.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think the association has alas already been made. I've stated already how ineptly the Thai authorities have handled the recent riot but the southern muslims adopting fundamentalist tactics means their (legitimate?) grievences can not be met or it would send a message to all disaffected minorities to adopt similar tactics. We are now playing for high stakes both in Thailand and on the wider world stage.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

and of course President Bush will somehow receive some of the blame??

[Steely Dan]

This is very sad.

And wrong, one wrong does not justify another.

QUOTE(britmaveric @ 2004-11-03 01:48:11)

Uh oh!  ohmy.gif  Bad move- Not very wise beheading- now those lot down south are going to be associated with those nutters in Iraq.

*

I think the association has alas already been made. I've stated already how ineptly the Thai authorities have handled the recent riot but the southern muslims adopting fundamentalist tactics means their (legitimate?) grievences can not be met or it would send a message to all disaffected minorities to adopt similar tactics. We are now playing for high stakes both in Thailand and on the wider world stage.

The association is unjustified.

The guys in Iraq made demands, and the live decapitation was conditional, demands not met=decapitation.

In Thailand the killing and subsequent beheading was not conditional, no demands were made which if met could have prevented the death. This was a revenge killing.

I repeat: The monk was first shot, then beheaded, the event was not dependant on any demands being met, it was a revenge killing.

I do not justify nor condone this. I am pointing out the differences to the acts in Iraq.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ok Stroll I will concede you that - it was a revenge killing, but beheading after the fact kind of ties your colours to the mast doesn't it? Thaksin had a tightrope to tread now in reaching out to the majority of the Southern muslims whilst capturing and punishing wrongdoers in a consistent way and within the framework of the law.

[JemJem]

Let's hope the Cycle of violence will end soon??  Your Kidding Right??  This is just the beginning,  When are you people gonna wake up??  You think you can bargain with people that are not afraid to die??  I suggest all you expats get a gun if of course your allowed to in Thailand.  Not sure on that one. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Typical gun-loving, right-winger !

No, thanks anyway.......I have managed just fine without any kind of gun, knife or device, in Bangkok and in other cities all my life.

Bigots/idiots like you really get on my nerves !

Now go back to reading your 'Ammunition World' magazine !

Jem

[Darknight]

Uh oh!    Bad move- Not very wise beheading- now those lot down south are going to be associated with those nutters in Iraq.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think the association has alas already been made. I've stated already how ineptly the Thai authorities have handled the recent riot but the southern muslims adopting fundamentalist tactics means their (legitimate?) grievences can not be met or it would send a message to all disaffected minorities to adopt similar tactics. We are now playing for high stakes both in Thailand and on the wider world stage.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

and of course President Bush will somehow receive some of the blame??

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

NOt alone no , we can add Carter, Reagan for there middle east politics for decades, we can add the israelian problems where the USA just supports israel with all they've got cause some influencial and rich jews live in the states. We can put it on the invasion of iraq. We can put it on the Training and money you gave to your arch enemy Osama bin laden. We can put it on your invasion of afghanistan to capture ONE man , you still can't find. We can put it on your outrageous treatment of prisoners and human rights records in your base in Cuba? We can put it on your laughable democratic voting system?

Want more reasons ?

Maybe you should realise the US is looking for it. and it's setting the rest of the world on fire

[Khun ?]

Maybe it is time to get the Europeans to get some bribes ready and import some of the old fire machines. Do they have any food for oil deals set up in the south yet.

Sadam had much help getting anything he wanted with a few promises of work and money to some of our so called partners.

Best thing they can do is pick a leader in the south, tell the Europeans the americans are on their way and they will be bending over backwards to hand over some covert cash to screw their partners over while they are at the U.N. calling them murders.

[phormio]

...

NOt alone no , we can add Carter, Reagan for there middle east politics for decades, we can add the israelian problems where the USA just supports israel with all they've got cause some influencial and rich jews live in the states. We can put it on the invasion of iraq. We can put it on the Training and money you gave to your arch enemy Osama bin laden. We can put it on your invasion of afghanistan to capture ONE man , you still can't find. We can put it on your outrageous treatment of prisoners and human rights records in your base in Cuba? We can put it on your laughable democratic voting system?

Want more reasons ?

Maybe you should realise the US is looking for it. and it's setting the rest of the world on fire 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You forgot the overthrow of the democratically elected govt of Iran in 1953 by Eisenhower's CIA, and the support of Iraq, under Saddam Hussein, and its mass slaughter of Persians in the 1980s war. And looking the other way while the Israelis developed nukes, but crapping on everybody else who even thought about. And not getting rid of US nukes, but continually developing more and better nuclear weapons. And development of torture/interrogation techniques in the 1950s to be used up to the present day in Iraq. And...

[stroll]

Isn't this developing into an Iraq/US/Europe discussion again? Seems everytime the word 'Muslim' is mentioned, some gun crazy yank or other who hasn't been debriefed after his tour of duty jumps out of the woodworks....