Government denies military involvement in Yala teashop attack

BANGKOK, May 6 – Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban on Friday said Tuesday’s teashop attack in Yala was not the work of any government soldier as claimed in leaflets distributed in the vicinity.

Concerning the attack in Yala’s Bannang Sata district last Tuesday (May 3), the Southern Border Provinces Development Strategy Committee (SBPDSC) meeting reported the assailant as former army ranger who was discharged in 2008. An in-depth investigation is now being conducted to find out possible accomplices and the motive for the attack.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep who supervises national security reaffirmed that the incident was not the work of any officials and it must be clarified to local people after leaflets claiming the attack was linked to officials were distributed in the area.

An unknown number of attackers on a pick-up truck opened fire at the teashop, killing four persons and wounding 16 others.

In a related development, Mr Suthep said the SBPDSC meeting chaired by the prime minister also approved a budget of some Bt30 million (US$1million) to fix surveillance cameras in southern border provinces damaged by suspected insurgents. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-05-06

A former ranger suspected of the attack on a tea shop in Yala that killed 4 has turned himself in and denied all charges /TAN_Network

PM confirms before leaving for ASEAN Summit in Indonesia that he has submitted House dissolution decree for royal endorsement already /TAN_Network

No Cambodian workers abused since the border clashes

BANGKOK, 6 May 2011 (NNT)-Deputy Director-General of the Department of Employment, Ministry of Labor, Mr. Prawit Kengpol has reported no labor abuse or violence since the border battle started but admitted that hiring Cambodian workers to work in Thailand has been slow.

According to Mr. Prawit, there are currently 151,119 Cambodian workers making a living in Thailand. Most of them have found jobs in Songkhla, Chon Buri, Rayong, Samut Sakhon and Samut Prakarn provinces. Each year the number of Cambodian migrants continues to grow. It is almost impossible not to hire them while labor shortage is posing concerns on the economy of the country.

The lives of Cambodian workers in Thailand have not been affected by the clashes over the Thai-Cambodian border. Officials overseeing migrant labors across the country have been told to assure these migrants are living here unharmed.

The Deputy Director-General of the Department of Employment adds that any of these legal migrants can return to Cambodia at anytime they wish if the situation over the overlapping territory exacerbates.

-- NNT 2011-05-06

PM: Royal decree on House dissolution, to clear way for general election, is submitted to King /MCOT

EC ready to organise poll, tentative date July 3

The Election Commission is ready to activate the balloting process immediately after the issuing of the Royal Decree on House Dissolution, EC member Prapun Naigowit said on Friday.

The poll date should fall either on June 26 or July 3, depending on the date to dissolove the House, he said, hinting at the latter date if the decree is delayed to next week.

Prapun said the Constitution Court review on the constitutionality of three electoral laws would not pose an obstacle to the balloting.

After the next week's decree issuing, the EC could wait a few days for the high court to complete its review, he said. In case the judicial review could

-- The Nation 2011-05-06

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to be continued,

Thailand Live Saturday 7 May