Car Bomb And Shooting In Narathiwat

[Lite Beer]

17 hurt by car bomb, shooting

By The Nation On Sunday.

Some 17 people were injured after suspected insurgents opened fire on a karaoke bar in Narathiwat's Muang district yesterday then detonated a car bomb nearby when police inspected the scene

Police were alerted by a homicide report at 7.20pm. Unknown gunmen had opened fire and injured two women working at Maya Karaoke Bar in Soi 21/1 on Na Kakhon Road.

Officers went to inspect the scene, as the two injured women were rushed to Narathiwat Rajanakarin Hospital.

At 7.45pm, the bomb went off in front of a massage shop on Suriyapradit Road, 100 metres from the scene of the shooting, just after a team of police passed. It injured a further 15 people. Four nearby commercial buildings and 12 motorcycles were also damaged.

Initial police inquiries found the culprits put explosives in a 20 kilogram gas cylinder, placed it in a red Mitsubishi Lancer with a fake licence plate "Kor Thor 9804 Narathiwat".

The bomb was believed to have been detonated with a cell-phone.

Narathiwat Governor Thanon Vetchakornkanon said it was suspected that insurgents shot up the bar to lure police to the scene where the car-bomb was hidden.

However, the bomb went off when the police were 20 metres past the spot, so bar guests and bystanders were injured.

A spokesman said that police would check security cameras in the area for clues to the identity of the bombers.

-- The Nation 2011-02-20

[Scott]

The southern situation seems to be escalating.

A few too many problems on too many fronts here. It may be only a matter of time until things really melt down.

My thoughts are with the people living in the south.

[asiawatcher]

I hope the security cameras are plentiful and of sufficient quality to nail people who propagate this - firing squad immediately would be a deterrent.

[Oberkommando]

When are they going to start calling it a civil war instead of the restive south or any such other nonsense?

It fits the criteria thus it should be called a civil war.

[Oberkommando]

A few too many problems on too many fronts here. It may be only a matter of time until things really melt down.

Agreed and I have been saying so for a while now.

This country is really in trouble.

[Lite Beer]

Karaoke bars in Narathiwat suspend business after Saturday attack

By The Nation.

Scores of karaoke bars in Narathiwat suspended their business on Sunday after scores of people were injured in an insurgent attack at a karaoke bar in Muang district on Saturday night.

Unknown gunmen had opened fire and injured two women working at Maya Karaoke Bar in Soi 21/1 on Na Kakhon Road at about 7.20pm.

Police then went to inspect the scene. At 7.45pm, the bomb went off in front of a massage shop on Suriyapradit Road, 100 metres from the scene of the shooting, just after a team of police passed.

It injured a further 15 people. Four nearby commercial buildings and 12 motorcycles were also damaged.

Following the attack on Saturday, some 60 karaoke bars in Narathiwat's Muang district on Sunday announced they closed their service out of fear that their business may be a target again.

-- The Nation 2011-02-20

[jimbeam1]

The southern situation seems to be escalating.

A few too many problems on too many fronts here. It may be only a matter of time until things really melt down.

My thoughts are with the people living in the south.

Very true Scott. Sometime someone in power in Thailand,is going to have to address their problems. Because for sure they are not going to disappear. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the UN offer to help over Cambodia. Which was refused.

jb1

[Credo]

I don't know for sure, but I think the UN was quite vague about helping. I believe they would assist, but only if both sides want help--or an all out war erupts and the UN is stuck taking care of thousands of fleeing refugees.

The problem seems to be that Thailand refuses anyone's help. In Cambodia they only want bilateral talks. In the South they don't want anyone, including the Organization of Islamic Countries (don't remember the exact name).

It's a country that's hard to understand. Seldom do they want to solve a problem, they just want it to be ignored or look like it's solved.

The people in the South, however, are the ones that really suffer.

[Pi Sek]

Hmm. I'm in Narathiwat right now. From my conversations with people here, the UN is absolutely not what they want, and there is no similarity with the Cambodian conflict, other than it is close to a border. So I'm not quite sure what the above posters are on about.

The only reason that the insurgents are intensifying their campaign is because they are losing support. That has everything to do with two things - the army's (welcome) support and the communities' (Buddhist and Muslim) growing ill-feeling towards the insurgency. But hey, maybe I've got it all wrong and I'm just getting fed govt propaganda. I don't think so though.

With regards to whether this is a civil war - no it's absolutely not. A civil war is where the ruling government does not govern and the confict boils over (I witnessed it pretty closely in Angola). That's not the case down here, this is an insurgency - i.e. some (a small minority I might add) have decided that they want absolute power (back?). Maybe they should ask whoever drew up the maps all those years ago. There ya go, there's your Cambodian-conflict-comparison.

I see a thinly-veiled reference above to "someone in power". If I'm thinking of the same someone, there are very few down here that don't want him around.

[Scott]

I think the reference to the UN was in regard to the Cambodian situation. I don't think there has been any effort to get the UN involved in the southern situation. The Organization of Islamic States is the only group I am aware of that has an interest in the South. Thailand doesn't want the situation internationalized, I believe.

[Pi Sek]

I think the reference to the UN was in regard to the Cambodian situation. I don't think there has been any effort to get the UN involved in the southern situation. The Organization of Islamic States is the only group I am aware of that has an interest in the South. Thailand doesn't want the situation internationalized, I believe.

Well, why should it be? It's a Thai problem.

Also, given that the insurgency want an Islamic State of Pattani, I don't think the Organization of Islamic States would be the most impartial intermediaries - and that's before you look at some of the outrageous statements from some of their "academics".

The Malays have been helping to a degree in stopping logistical support to the insurgency - a number of insurgents aren't Thai - but there's not a lot that they can do, given the border closes in the early evening on both sides at parts, and it's common practice to cross the border by boat for 20 Baht (e.g. in Sungai Kolok) rather than wait in line at the checkpoint.