Money Won't Stop South Thai Violence

[Mai Krap]

http://www.reuters.com/article/asiaCrisis/idUSSP424007

Money won't stop south Thai violence, Muslims say

By Martin Petty

BAN TALUBOH, Thailand, June 18 (Reuters) - In the rustic villages of Thailand's Muslim south, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's promise of large-scale development aid to tackle a brutal insurgency sounds all too familiar. "Money can't change what's happening, no one can buy an end to the problems here," said Yousuf, referring to a shadowy five-year rebellion that has claimed nearly 3,500 lives in the southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat. "It's the policies of Thai governments that are to blame," he said in a village tea shop in Pattani. "They have to understand that our way of life is different to other Thais and money won't make a difference".

Other villagers gave similar views on Abhisit's three-year plan to win "hearts and minds" by pouring 54 billion baht ($1.58 billion) into the region bordering Malaysia. [iD:nBKK414765] They are ethnic Malay Muslims who speak Thai as a second language, and dismiss the plan to boost fisheries, rubber and palm oil industries as another example of Buddhist Bangkok's failure to understand a region more than 1,000 kms away. "Corrupt officials will keep the money for themselves. This is a useless idea," Arware said. "It could end up in the hands of the militant groups. Investment won't stop the violence."

Bearmah, a burly Muslim with teeth stained by sickly-sweet tea, said a better idea would be to withdraw the 30,000 soldiers deployed in the region and scrap an emergency decree that grants them broad powers of arrest with immunity from prosecution. "The rebels are fighting the military. We don't need them here because we can protect ourselves," he said, smoking a hand-rolled cigarette. "The emergency laws let them arrest innocent people, jail them for a month, and sometimes they torture them -- how can this win hearts and minds?," he said.

MILITANTS KILLED

The three provinces were part of an independent Malay Muslim sultanate annexed by Buddhist Thailand a century ago, and its people have long resisted Bangkok's attempts to assimilate them. A separatist insurgency from the 1970s and 1980s resurfaced in 2004, and attempts by successive Thai governments to quell the unrest with military force, investment and even free cable television have all failed. The violence has intensified in the last two weeks, with Buddhists and Muslims among the 31 people killed and more than 50 wounded in the all too familiar gun and bomb attacks, for which no credible group has claimed responsibility.

Four suspected Muslim militants were killed on Thursday during a raid by army rangers and police in Yala's Bannang Sta district, police said. "We got four of them," a police official told Reuters after the 30-minute gunbattle. He said they had received a tip that militants were using the house as a hideout. The unrest has heaped more pressure on Abhisit's coalition government as it struggles to revive an economy hit by a global downturn and protracted political strife since a 2006 coup removed ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Villages like Ban Taluboh have been traditional strongholds of Abhisit's Democrat Party. But few here believe his government, or any other, is capable of ending the violence. "Each government is the same," said Abdulloh, a villager. "They have never listened to the people. Our culture is a Malay culture and we follow the rules of Islam."

Bearmah said the failure to arrest the gunmen who shot dead 10 Muslims at prayer in a Narathiwat mosque on June 8 had intensified peoples' feelings of injustice and resentment. "If they really want to end this violence, they have to arrest these killers," he said, rejecting Bangkok's denials that security forces were involved in the mosque attack. "I suspect the authorities are behind it, because no one has been arrested," he said. "Muslims don't kill other Muslims praying in a mosque." (Additional reporting by Kittipong Soonprasert) (Editing by Darren Schuettler)

[Mai Krap]

http://enews.mcot.net/view.php?id=10405

Special security force dispatched to restive South

PATTANI, June 18 (TNA) - The Royal Thai Army has dispatched an additional combined unit of special security personnel to the Thailand’s southern border provinces to guard local residents, following renewed violent attacks by presumed insurgents in the region.

Lt-Gen. Kasikon Kirisri, commander of the Joint Civilian Police Military Task Force, said the new team of security personnel will work in areas where insurgents are active to provide security for local people, teachers and monks.

“The extra force will help ease the burden on the existing military in the area, who could be weary due to a long period on duty. Initially, the additional force will be on mission until the end of June,” Gen. Kasikon explained.

The commander added that violence-prone areas to be particularly monitored include Yala’s Bannang Sata and Raman districts, Narathiwat’s Bacho and Rangae districts, and Pattani’s Nong Chik, Sai Buri, Kapho and Thung Yang Daeng districts.

Meanwhile, Pol.Lt-Gen. Peera Phumpichet, commander of the Southern Border Provinces Police Operations Centre, reported on the status of the investigation of the mosque shootings in Cho Ai Rong district of Narathiwat on June 8.

Police have so far questioned 34 witnesses and collected spent cartridges from assault rifles at the scene.

According to the investigation, the bullets came from the same rifles earlier used in violent attacks in Narathiwat’s Rangae district. A special investigation unit was set up to solve the case as well as other cases including killing a Buddhist monk and teachers and bomb attacks on passenger pick-up truck.

According to the centre, since violence erupted in 2004, there have been 6,599 security-related cases occurring in the troubled South, with 6,902 arrest warrants issued and 3,809 suspects being detained.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, meanwhile, visited Pattani on Thursday, to meet local officials and discuss security issues and violence related cases.

He said officials from all sides worked well together but police and soldiers needed to improve the providing of security to ensure safety of local people. (TNA)

General News : Last Update : 17:48:07 18 June 2009 (GMT+7:00)

[Bagwan]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090619/wl_nm/...hailand_south_2

A horrifying read. This lady has got balls, unlike the cowardly murders.

[Bagwan]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090619/wl_nm/...hailand_south_2

A horrifying read. This lady has got balls, unlike the cowardly murders.

For murders please read murderers - or assassins.

Where is the edit button?

[cmdream]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090619/wl_nm/...hailand_south_2

A horrifying read. This lady has got balls, unlike the cowardly murders.

That's why they are called terrorists. They are cowards who shoot or bomb

innocents. Their mission is to terrorize the locals. They start with killing the

village leaders then the village school teachers and administrators. Then burn down the schools ( over 100 in the south of Thailand so far). They attack the local authority with bombs and drive by shootings. They bomb local food markets, mostly women and children are in the markets. They shoot people off their motorbikes who are going to work. They don't care if there are children on the bikes or in the bus, kill them all is there "motto".

This is the future for South Thailand. Unless you are of the same religious belief as these cowards then you are an infidel and must give up your right to religious freedom or die . Short and not so sweet. Just my observation.