Big C Superstore Bombed

[george]

Bomb hits superstore in deep south

PATTANI: -- A small bomb exploded at a giant superstore in Pattani Monday afternoon, injuring one person and forcing the evacuation of customers and staff, in the latest of a string of attacks in the troubled region within less than 24 hours.

Police said the bomb, hidden in a plant pot, was triggered remotely by a cell phone signal at Big C Superstore in Pattani's Nong Chik district, and damaged two cars parked near the store.

The store was closed temporarily for further investigation.

In a separate incident, a police bomb squad in Yaring district successfully defused a bomb planted under a car belonging to a local defense volunteer.

The bomb, which weighed 10 kilogrammes, was set to be detonated by a cell phone signal.

Police suspected that it was the work of the same insurgents who wanted to detonate a bomb at the Yaring District Office. Fortunately, the volunteer's wife noticed the suspicious object and alerted the police.

In the neighbouring province of Narathiwat, insurgents planted a bomb in a fire-extinguisher along a road leading to a teachers housing unit. The bomb was timed to explode while a security team escorting teachers back home.

No one was hurt in the incident which police suspected was the work of insurgents who want to create disturbances in the region.

More than 800 people have been killed since violence erupted in the predominantly-Muslim south early last year.

--TNA 2005-08-01

[LPCustom69]

Something needs to be done in that area. The sooner, the better. Let those with more information make the decisions. And hopefully get it right. You couldn't pay me to go there, and it will eventually hurt tourism in the whole country. All that people are going to hear is: Thailand and bomb. Hear it enough and go elsewhere.

[ThaiPauly]

Terroists, like every Country in the World MUST not give in to these Bastards. They dont care if they kill their own people let alone their "So Called" enemies if you ak me I would say that Motorcye helmets should be ILLLEGAL in the 3 provinces. That way the Gunmen could be identified. I know its a longshot and nobody is going to take any notice of this post but it makes sense. I do not think it is illegal for passengers on bikes to wear helmets (Certainly not the case in Bangers alhough I may be wong). Then if they banned them I feel there would be a lot less carnage. Only COWARDS hide their faces behind helmets. Otherwise every helmet should carry a number EVERY helmet clearly,if the police see someone without a number or a Helmet surely they could intervine.

I hope the Powers that be read this post and take note.

[Membrane]

This is sickening news.... I'm so tired of hearing about Muslim terrorists blowing people up and killing innocent people--and it's especially sad that it has come to beautiful Thailand.

What's the answer? Martial law? Curfews? More and more clamp-downs?

I know the answer is NOT to give in to their demands--NEVER! If they aren't civilized enough to voice their grievances like civilized people, they won't be civilized (or satisfied) if appeased...

[dezeure]

This is sickening news.... I'm so tired of hearing about Muslim terrorists blowing people up and killing innocent people--and it's especially sad that it has come to beautiful Thailand.

What's the answer?  Martial law?  Curfews?  More and more clamp-downs?

I know the answer is NOT to give in to their demands--NEVER!  If they aren't civilized enough to voice their grievances like civilized people, they won't be civilized (or satisfied) if appeased...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Truely spoken... Somebody should put all of them out of their miseries (without killing innoscent people)... But giving in will never happen!!!

SD

[kogrutter]

Actually, I think ThaiPauly is onto something. How about color coding the helmets by province and then the number bit. You don't have the proper helmet, you're in trouble. Banning the wearing of helmets would work too. Cowards don't like to be known.

[Anon999]

This is sickening news.... I'm so tired of hearing about Muslim terrorists blowing people up and killing innocent people--and it's especially sad that it has come to beautiful Thailand.

What's the answer?  Martial law?  Curfews?  More and more clamp-downs?

I know the answer is NOT to give in to their demands--NEVER!  If they aren't civilized enough to voice their grievances like civilized people, they won't be civilized (or satisfied) if appeased...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If there is an answer then nobody has found it yet. Whether Northern Ireland, Spain, the Middle East, South East Asia, you name it and nothing stops fanatics. If they are allowed to take over and form sone sort of administration they just kill all their opponents and anybody else who they take a dislike to.

Has anyone else noticed that all of these conflicts involve RELIGION. Who needs it?

Edited August 1, 2005 by Anon999

[lukamar]

Whatever you call them and whatever their goal none of these groups seem to have any idea about how to accomplish them. Bombing a Big C in Thailand, or a night club in Indonesia may get you points in your group but does nothing to increase the power you yield elsewhere.

Terror groups in Thailand and elsewhere have managed to unite groups and countries with strong bonds, that would not under normal circumstances develop. That can't be a positive step for their organizations.

Thailand is never going to give up the Axe Handle and no amount of armed conflict is going to change that. All that will result is a lot of Innocent people getting Killed and injured.

Unfortunately Thailand's conscription law, of which I agree, actually helps in some instances to train the Terror groups in Thai Military Tactics and gives them basic military skills. Maybe the Government should consider making the conscripts from the south serve their military commitment in another non military way. As orderlies in hospitals throwout the country or working on projects for the betterment of the country as a whole.

The only way for any change is nonviolent meaningful dialog and that takes time, maybe generations. The Thai government, who has not always acted correctly, but has tried to offer olive branches on a few occasions and those actions have always been met with more violence. Things unfortunately will get much worse before they get better. The groups in the south want instant gratification and instant change and they will be met with that staunch Thai wall of No Face Loss at any cost. If they want change in the south, the terror groups had best learn some diplomacy and they better learn it in a hurry.

[meom]

Terroists, like every Country in the World MUST not give in to these Bastards.

I hope the Powers that be read this post and take note.

TP kindly clarify why terrorists must not give in.

[patsfangr]

This is sickening news.... I'm so tired of hearing about Muslim terrorists blowing people up and killing innocent people--and it's especially sad that it has come to beautiful Thailand.

What's the answer?  Martial law?  Curfews?  More and more clamp-downs?

I know the answer is NOT to give in to their demands--NEVER!  If they aren't civilized enough to voice their grievances like civilized people, they won't be civilized (or satisfied) if appeased...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Truely spoken... Somebody should put all of them out of their miseries (without killing innoscent people)... But giving in will never happen!!!

SD

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The problem, SD, is that it's impossible to differentiate "them" from the "innocent people" who happen to be of the same, or similar religion - albeit with a drastically different interpretation of its teachings. I, too, favor killing every person in the world who would willfully take the lives of innocent people. But, just as the Brits couldn't recognize a Colonialist from a Rebel; just as the Americans couldn't recognize a VC from an innocent South Vietnamese farmer; so, too, is it impossible for anyone to recognize a "terrorist", until, in most cases, it's too late.

I believe that most of the world is taking reasonable precautions to minimize such attacks. However, I believe that there is no possiblity of stopping them. There will always be those who believe that some "cause" can be furthered only by such dispicable acts. While we should continue every effort to discover them before they take place; and punish, preferably by death, those who plan or execute such acts; they are, in the long term, as inevitable as earthquakes, at some level.

GR

[Darkling]

It`s the religious leaders who are fanning the flames of fire, well the fanatical ones anyway. What do we do jail them kill them? I don`t have the answers,dialogue may be the answer but thats no good if its only one sided.

They just want to terrorise. What do they want? Five years ago i never saw a muslim in Nakhon Pathom, now walk around the Chedi market at night and theres loads of them. My friend tells me all the women are school teachers are they moving north to preach the word of Islam or just to be an ordinary Thai teacher.

[george]

Update:

Bomb explodes at Big C in Pattani

PATTANI: -- One man was injured and two cars were damaged after a remote-controlled bomb exploded at the Nong Chik branch of Big C superstore in Pattani's Muang district.

Another device exploded at the entrance to a teacher's home in Narathiwat, injuring one man and damaging several vehicles.

Elsewhere, a police officer's son and a former village headman were seriously injured in separate attacks.

At the Nong Chik branch of Big C, chaos erupted when a bomb went off in its car park at about 2pm.

The store's management immediately urged all staff and customers to leave the site and temporarily closed the store so a police investigation could take place.

The homemade device had been placed in a flower pot and was triggered by a mobile phone.

Earlier yesterday, a bomb exploded at the entrance to a teacher's home opposite a rubber research centre in Narathiwat's Sungai Padi district. The bomb, believed to be targetting soldiers providing protection for teachers, exploded at about 8.05am when a protection team arrived. The teacher's home was slightly damaged, but nobody was hurt in the attack.

The impact of the explosion damaged a pick-up truck and motorcycle parked nearby.

In Pattani, a suspicious-looking box was left in the driveway of a defence volunteer. A bomb squad was called in to destroy the iron box left near the home of Vareesaran Daralanchakorn, 36, a defence volunteer from Yaring district. The box, weighing around 5 kg, contained fertiliser material, a stick of dynamite, iron rods, a mobile phone and a SIM card.

Meanwhile, the son of a police officer was seriously wounded in a gun attack in Narathiwat province. Theerapong Apipinyo, 17, son of Pol Sen Sgt Maj Piphat, was attacked at about 7.30am on the Tak Bai-Sungai Kolok road in Tak Bai district by two men on a motorcycle as he rode his motorcycle to school.

In the same province, a former village headman was shot and seriously wounded in an attack that took place on the Sungai Padi-Sakor road in Sungai Padi district. Arsae Hesamee, 73, was attacked by two men on a motorcycle while driving his jeep to the centre of town around noon. The pillion passenger sprayed several rounds at Mr Arsae, prompting him to return fire. He was seriously wounded in the attack. One of the assailants also suffered gunshot wounds, but managed to flee the scene.

Leaflets threatening to kill Muslims working under the government's job creation scheme were yesterday distributed in several areas in Yala's Yaha district.

The leaflets, written in Malayu and Thai, were distributed in tambons Patae and Katong in Yaha district. The leaflets attacked the government for using ``tricks'' to encourage locals to work as defence volunteers. The insurgents threatened to kill local Muslims who were working for the government.

Meanwhile, Pol Lt-Gen Somsak Bupphasuwan, chief of Police Region 8, said the issuing of the executive decree had driven many southern insurgents to seek refuge in the nearby provinces of Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani. Police have been asked to monitor the situation closely.

Meanwhile, a source said there is a strong demand for second-hand Nokia 3310 mobile phones in the three southernmost provinces. Police were investigating whether or not these phones could be used in bomb attacks, he said.

--Bangkok Post 2005-08-02

[edh]

Some of you want people to be labled, this have been done once already..

Remember? Like 60 years ago...

Let's not go there again please.

[Nam Kao]

But Zarkow said they are peaceful ... ???

Did he mean "pieceful"?

[johnwills]

So far, Thailand has been lucky, can you imagine what affect a truck bomb would have on tourism if the terrorists attacked somewhere like Pattaya? Potentially hundreds could be killed or seriously injured.

It seems to me that it will only be a matter of time before attacks start within the tourist areas.

The Islamic faith now seems to be used by many terrorists as an excuse to use violence to achieve their aims, ask the majority of Muslims living in the UK if they consider these terrorists to be following Islam and they would say "No", the Koran explicitly condemns the killing of innocent people.

Let’s hope something can be done to resolve this conflict before it kills more innocent people or develops into a civil war.

[John K]

I wonder how long it will be before the PM just exports all the Muslims and lets them back in one at a time. This post I made from another thread seems to universally apply to all terrorist related threads. Perhaps it should be a header topic.

"As I see it I have two ideas to deal with the terrorists. First is very simple and very profitable. Open a suicide bomber school. The trick is to get the tuition up front. Then teach them all they need to know, build a bomb to strap on, make a harness for the explosives. Help them calculate how much TNT they need. How to get past security. Then for the final exam have them go out to a empty field and poove they can blow themselves up. I am sure successful graduates will have no complaints about the quality of the school. Second is a little more involved. It would seem the terrorist can’t live with anyone including themselves. So Take a clue from Israel, build a wall or give them a piece of land to call their own. Then when they move in supply them with plenty of guns, bio weapons and other things that kill loads of people at a time. After about a year you can go back and claim the vacant land. Let Darwin do his thing. "

[edh]

I'm not sure but I think they are smarter than so - unfortunately.

Then for the final exam have them go out to a empty field and poove they can blow themselves up."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[redredrose]

Something needs to be done in that area. The sooner, the better. Let those with more information make the decisions. And hopefully get it right. You couldn't pay me to go there, and it will eventually hurt tourism in the whole country. All that people are going to hear is:  Thailand and bomb. Hear it enough and go elsewhere.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[redredrose]

Surely you mean "Thailand, like every.....etc.

Otherwise, a very good post.

Not a "power that be" , btw

[redredrose]

This is sickening news.... I'm so tired of hearing about Muslim terrorists blowing people up and killing innocent people--and it's especially sad that it has come to beautiful Thailand.

What's the answer?  Martial law?  Curfews?  More and more clamp-downs?

I know the answer is NOT to give in to their demands--NEVER!  If they aren't civilized enough to voice their grievances like civilized people, they won't be civilized (or satisfied) if appeased...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Truely spoken... Somebody should put all of them out of their miseries (without killing innoscent people)... But giving in will never happen!!!

SD

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The problem, SD, is that it's impossible to differentiate "them" from the "innocent people" who happen to be of the same, or similar religion - albeit with a drastically different interpretation of its teachings. I, too, favor killing every person in the world who would willfully take the lives of innocent people. But, just as the Brits couldn't recognize a Colonialist from a Rebel; just as the Americans couldn't recognize a VC from an innocent South Vietnamese farmer; so, too, is it impossible for anyone to recognize a "terrorist", until, in most cases, it's too late.

I believe that most of the world is taking reasonable precautions to minimize such attacks. However, I believe that there is no possiblity of stopping them. There will always be those who believe that some "cause" can be furthered only by such dispicable acts. While we should continue every effort to discover them before they take place; and punish, preferably by death, those who plan or execute such acts; they are, in the long term, as inevitable as earthquakes, at some level.

GR

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[jrincon17]

Something needs to be done in that area. The sooner, the better. Let those with more information make the decisions. And hopefully get it right. You couldn't pay me to go there, and it will eventually hurt tourism in the whole country. All that people are going to hear is:  Thailand and bomb. Hear it enough and go elsewhere.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Its getting to the point where it hurt the tourism like the Philippines .

[ChiangMaiMike]

"What more than 95 per cent of all suicide terrorist attacks around the world have in common is not religion, but a specific political goal to compel modern democracies to withdraw military forces from the territory that the terrorists view as their homeland or prize greatly." Robert Pape

What do the three Southern Provinces have that the rest of Thailand wants?

Is there oil or other natural resources down there?

Why not just give them autonomy? Let them form their own country?

[lukamar]

What do the three Southern Provinces have that the rest of Thailand wants?

Is there oil or other natural resources down there?

Why not just give them autonomy? Let them form their own country?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's more than just giving them what they want or letting them form their own country. It would be never ending if that happened. The next year they would want the next 3-4 provinces and the cycle would start all over again.

There is an incredibly easy way to control the cell phone detonation problem and a large part of it is in the hands of the PM. The Cell phone companies can easily get together and cut the cells off the network and instantly disabling all cell phone use in the south. That possibly would carry more weight than anything else they can do.

They can also blackout all news coverage of any terrorist action on the TV and Radio except for arrests of those caught. That way they don't get that free publicity and any action they take would not carry nearly as much weight.

Edited August 2, 2005 by lukamar

[rodcourt49]

This is sickening news.... I'm so tired of hearing about Muslim terrorists blowing people up and killing innocent people--and it's especially sad that it has come to beautiful Thailand.

What's the answer?  Martial law?  Curfews?  More and more clamp-downs?

I know the answer is NOT to give in to their demands--NEVER!  If they aren't civilized enough to voice their grievances like civilized people, they won't be civilized (or satisfied) if appeased...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Poor MEMBRANE...you're SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO tired of hearing about death and destruction....well why not have a little lie down...and when you wake up Daddy will have made the big bad men go away....Come on get real it's about canvassing the Pollies and Thaksin and the U.N. or your Senators etc overseas to bring more attention to this carnage, as the single little man has no voice he must stand strong with others for his cause. These are ancient people living in a modern world that have been a load of crap that just doesn't gel any longer. The U.N. and the Muslim clerics and leaders HAVE to get together and sort out some sort of compromise.........mean time see if you can stay awake...hey MENINGE CONFUSUS.

[rodcourt49]

"What more than 95 per cent of all suicide terrorist attacks around the world have in common is not religion, but a specific political goal to compel modern democracies to withdraw military forces from the territory that the terrorists view as their homeland or prize greatly."  Robert Pape

What do the three Southern Provinces have that the rest of Thailand wants?

Is there oil or other natural resources down there?

Why not just give them autonomy? Let them form their own country?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There's a LOT of oil right there off-shore..one of the contributing reasons why the Thaksin Government and hopefully each succeeding government will hang onto and not trade-off at any cost. (There's also a LOT of oil in Irag). One wonders!

[atulmangalmurti]

our goverment does not have any positive solution to handle unrest in south. our PM is very good in sales of his policies but not good administrator. the long term vision for south is still not drawn compared to CNX which will be flying hub, night safari culture center etc etc.

govermenet need to paint future picture for south- how it will look in next 5 years, 10 years. using powers to temporarily stop violence is short term solution which may have boomrang effect if power used incorrectly.

do any body know how south will look after 10 years from today? i expect it will not be another Kashmir.

[Bangkok Barry]

John Lennon had it right:

Imagine there's no countries

It isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too.

...and he was shot.

[Artisan]

This is sickening news.... I'm so tired of hearing about Muslim terrorists blowing people up and killing innocent people--and it's especially sad that it has come to beautiful Thailand.

What's the answer?  Martial law?  Curfews?  More and more clamp-downs?

I know the answer is NOT to give in to their demands--NEVER!  If they aren't civilized enough to voice their grievances like civilized people, they won't be civilized (or satisfied) if appeased...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Poor MEMBRANE...you're SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO tired of hearing about death and destruction....well why not have a little lie down...and when you wake up Daddy will have made the big bad men go away....Come on get real it's about canvassing the Pollies and Thaksin and the U.N. or your Senators etc overseas to bring more attention to this carnage, as the single little man has no voice he must stand strong with others for his cause. These are ancient people living in a modern world that have been a load of crap that just doesn't gel any longer. The U.N. and the Muslim clerics and leaders HAVE to get together and sort out some sort of compromise.........mean time see if you can stay awake...hey MENINGE CONFUSUS.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why the &lt;deleted&gt; do you have to be such a smart a-rse with your spiteful and malicious remark? The whole World is "sick and tired of tired of hearing about Muslim terrorists blowing people up and killing innocent people." You need to get real and accept the heart felt opinions of others mate.....and I'm not smart enough to know what MENINGE CONFUSUS means.

[Zoltan]

In Canada the French in Quebec have been trying to separate for years.. but.. everytime they try ....its done democratically with a vote.. why not let them vote on it. No need to blow everything up.

[johndoe5555]

"What more than 95 per cent of all suicide terrorist attacks around the world have in common is not religion, but a specific political goal to compel modern democracies to withdraw military forces from the territory that the terrorists view as their homeland or prize greatly."  Robert Pape

What do the three Southern Provinces have that the rest of Thailand wants?

Is there oil or other natural resources down there?

Why not just give them autonomy? Let them form their own country?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Of the 25 posts so far, this is the only sensible one that trys to identify the source of the problem, and brings us closer to a solution.

The rest of us seem to accept and label the terror incidents in Thailand, London, Egypt and so on as "Muslim". Why is this label being applied? What assumptions come along with the use of the term "Muslim"? How does this allow politicians to avoid responsibility for solving the problem?

First, I cant remember any CREDIBLE reports where the perpetrators claim that their aim is to convert the attacked nation to islam. These acts are political violence, with a political aim or to get revenge for percived injustice, or to resist occupation.

Second, Unless the general public wake up to the implication of the use of the label "Muslim", there will no end to this problem. The motivation for these acts is not the spread of Islam. This is not an apology for that religion, which I also find distasteful, but a statement of fact.

Thirdly, The ruling politiclans and compliant media have created this label, precisely to stop the public thinking about the reasons for these terror actions. They dont want us to see what is driving these attacks, and they hijack our feeling of outrage, by presenting us with "eye for a eye" solutions that lead nowhere. They appeal to the desire for revenge so that they can continue to carry on with the policies that cause the problem in the first place. The american public is a prime example of an unthinking and gullible electorate, and we must not become like them, otherwise we will end up losing our values of justice and civilisation, just as they have in the fight against political violence.

From palestine, iraq, alqueida, pattani, the reasons are different and varied, and if we simplify all these to "Muslim" then we have no chance of a peaceful future.

Finally, Stop using the term Muslim and start thinking about the problem in the context of poltical terror, or political violence, and start asking what can be done to choke this problem at the source