Blasts in southern Thailand injure at least 15

Blasts in southern Thailand injure at least 15

2010-10-25 21:41:50 GMT+7 (ICT)

BANGKOK, THAILAND (BNO NEWS) -- At least 15 people were wounded after a series of explosions rocked the troubled southern region of Thailand on Monday, the sixth anniversary of a deadly anti-government protest that left 85 people killed.

According to police reports, eleven blasts took place in the southern province of Narathiwat in a time period of about six hours, injuring a total of 15 people.

On October 25, 2004, what is being called the Tak Bai incident, seven people were shot dead as security forces broke up a protest in the town of Tak Bai. Seventy-eight more suffocated or were crashed to death in trucks while being transported to a detention center after they were arrested.

Members of humanitarian agencies have claimed that Thai authorities failed to press charges against security forces over the deaths, which generated further anger and consequently increased violence and alienation in the southern region, which is a Muslim-majority and borders Malaysia.

Last week, the Thai government renewed the executive decree on public administration in emergency situations in its three southern regions of Yala Pattani and Narthiwat. The decree was first introduced 5 years ago and will now continue until at least January 19, 2011.

The government noted that before the emergency decree in the far South would expire, it would consider extending the special law only in areas where unrest continues.

"The policy of my government is not to create conditions that could provoke more violence by allowing the authorities to abuse the law," Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said, as a number of rights activists have criticized the decree, saying it gives military forces legal immunity.

Separatist groups in the southern regions have brought constant and violent uprisings in the region for the past 6 years. Over 4,000 people have died and more than 7,000 others have been injured during this period.

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