Boy Among Six Gunned Down In Thai South

[webfact]

Boy among six gunned down in Thai south

BANGKOK, Nov 1, 2012 (AFP) - An 11-year-old boy was among six people killed in a spate of shootings in Thailand's restive south, police said Thursday, as a violence continues to roil the Muslim-majority area.

In a bloody day on Wednesday, two militants were killed and two policemen wounded in a shootout at a house in the Raman district of Yala province.

Shortly afterwards a 56-year-old janitor and his 11-year-old son were shot dead by unknown assailants in an ambush in the same area as they travelled back from school.

"The janitor's nine-year-old son was also critically wounded in the attack," the police statement said.

Raman is a militant stronghold, or "red zone", which is frequently rocked by attacks targeting security forces or locals accused of collaborating with the Thai authorities.

Later Wednesday two Buddhists, a 28-year-old woman and 47-year-old man, died as militants sprayed bullets into the crowd at a local festival in Sai Buri, Pattani province, also wounding four others.

The deaths marked another grisly day in Thailand's eight-year insurgency which has left more than 5,300 people dead in the kingdom's three southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.

A surge in violence since the summer has prompted Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to pledge to redouble efforts to end the conflict.

The militants are rebelling against a history of perceived discrimination against ethnic Malay Muslims by successive Thai governments and alleged rights abuses by the army.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2012-11-01

[sunshine51]

Another tragedy in a tragic plot of land.

We're gonna continue reading these kinds of

press stories for a long time to come until

somebody get's off their bum, takes charge,

and ends the problem once and for all. Sadly

there's too much money and politics involved

for this to happen soon.

Oh...I forgot to mention "Face" too...sorry.

[FarangTalk]

Last paragraph of the OP should be required reading for the bigots.

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[masaomi]

Sometimes you really wonder what goes on inside these murderers numbskulls? In the name of ...what...? The devil can site scriptures from the Bible for its own purpose!

[catmac]

Last paragraph of the OP should be required reading for the bigots.

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So murdering an 11 year old boy (and wounding his 9 year old brother) is OK to you? Seems to me to be that the real bigots are those that kill and maim the innocent in the name of religion.

[impulse]

of all the worlds conflicts at this moment in time how many DO NOT involve a muslim country or muslim ppl ????,............of course it's the west at fault .......AGAIN !

Yeah! Like that Muslim problem that's been going on in Northern Ireland.

And those Muslim militias in Colombia and other S. American countries.

And who can forget the Muslims that bombed the King David Hotel back in the '40's, part of the terrorist process that got them a free and independent country...

Strange that those involved in the King David hotel bombing quit being so darn violent once they got what they wanted.

Everyone wants peace, but they want it on their terms. The haves want peace as long as they don't have to give up what they have. The have-nots offer peace as soon as they get what they're fighting for.

I abhor violence. But I have no clue what the folks in any of these conflicts have endured that sent them to the breaking point. Maybe they're petty issues that make no sense. Or maybe they're sick and tired of being bombed, shot and persecuted for decades.

[endure]

One off topic post (the south of Thailand isn't in the Middle East) and one post encouraging indiscriminate killing have been removed. Any further posts which break forum rules will be removed without notice.

[Fozfromoz]

Last paragraph of the OP should be required reading for the bigots.

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Thaivisa Connect App

So murdering an 11 year old boy (and wounding his 9 year old brother) is OK to you? Seems to me to be that the real bigots are those that kill and maim the innocent in the name of religion.

And those that follow the cause. Real heroes spraying guns into a crowd. they probably wouldn't be so heroic had they some opposition. i know it's anti litigation reporting, but it does say "perceived" discrimination and " alleged" rights abuses. No problem, soon the rehab program will show its worth.

[OzMick]

Last paragraph of the OP should be required reading for the bigots.

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Right - shooting to death an unarmed 56yo janitor and his 11yo son, seriously wounding a 9yo is the way to do this.

Hooray for the muslim separatist heroes.

[Credo]

I believe the Thai government believes that much of the mayhem in the South is to internationalize the problem, In the process, it seems that they are minimizing the seriousness of the situation.

I certainly feel sorry for the people living in that area.

[lizardtongue]

Eventually Thailand will realize that this problem will not just disappear! Not even with the newly implemented 6 month rehab/integration scheme.

I wonder how the wife and mother of the murdered janitor and his son would react if she found out that the murderers were caught and but not prosecuted because they opted for the rehab scheme?

In another 2 years the AEC comes into effect with freedom of movement etc then the

Gotta feel sorry for the inhabitants of these areas who are more or less trapped!

Edited November 1, 2012 by lizardtongue

[Bagwan]

Will one of the ersatz Thai Generals make a study of how Sir Gerald Templer dealt with and subdued the Malayan terrorist campaign please? When will these bemedalled self promoting heroes realise that this is not all out war same same WW1 and WW2? This is guerilla warfare and an entirely different strategy is required to combat it. The battle is to win hearts and minds of the peoples of the southern provinces.

Did the German reprisals stop the French resistance movement? Did Goerings bombers sublimate the spirit of Londoners during the Blitz? Or the RAF that of the citizens of German cities? More recently, it seems to me that General Westmoreland got it all wrong in Vietnam and uneccessarily cost the US far too many lives. Didn't atrocities like Mai Lai strength the resolve of the North and many South Vietnamese? Did anybody expect the Moslems to cower in fear after the Tai Bak massacre?

For an example of the total insanity of the Thai Government and the Amed Forces read this.

http://www.telegraph...at-protest.html

I hold the view that the majority of Moslems want peace and to follow their own ways, and that they abhor violence. Finding leaders and gaining their trust is a must so that the reckless fanatical violent element is isolated. At the heart of the problem is who would trust a Thai politician of any colour?

Violence begets violence. As Churchill said, 'Jaw jaw is better than war war.

Edited November 1, 2012 by Scott
edited for fair use.

[Rancid]

Last paragraph of the OP should be required reading for the bigots.

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And I suppose if it was your son or family who was gunned down that you would still be lauding the killers and saying that society was to blame. Armchair liberals, it is always everyone else's fault but never the person pulling the trigger. If they have issue with the army then fight them, oh that's right, they might shoot back, unlike that kid eh?

[KhaoNiaw]

Last paragraph of the OP should be required reading for the bigots.

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Thaivisa Connect App

Right - shooting to death an unarmed 56yo janitor and his 11yo son, seriously wounding a 9yo is the way to do this.

Hooray for the muslim separatist heroes.

Actually we have no idea who carried out the killings. It could be Muslim separatists. That's not a given though, unless you believe the Thai military never carry out atrocities in these areas.

[philw]

Last paragraph of the OP should be required reading for the bigots.

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Thaivisa Connect App

Yes, yes, yes..

[asiawatcher]

For all the do-gooders and people who side with the people who commit these atrocities, using the excuse of Muslim Malay rights et al, get over it. Vanquished and overtaken in one of thousands of conflicts throughout history. The victors took it and settled it. If you don't happen to fit in and think killing children is your right then I wish upon you every curse and hope karma takes you and your kind to the darkest places and burn your Quran with you. You and your kind have no right to draw breath on this planet.

[surangw]

And the persons ( dare I refer to them as religious leaders ? ) that are behind this ( put them up to it) sit back and revel in their power they have over these weak minds.

[Halion]

I am at a point in my life where I find myself questioning who are all the other people on this planet.

Thailand has and has had for many years now a guerilla civil war going on in the "Deep South" but for reason of face saving the Government simply refuses to admit this as it could damage their precious and most lucrative tourist industry.

The answer is to clamp down on all these renegade provinces with Marshal law, search and weed out the militants,protect the law abiding citizens and then start a hearts and minds program from a position of strength and control not weakness and chaos. After all it is currently recognized as Thai sovereign territory.

However, this would require a well trained military with good leadership, discipline, tactical planning and the ability to see outside the box. This is simply not possible in this country as they do not have even the smallest percentage of what is needed to implement such actions with any degree of success.

From recent history we can see what happens here when you give the Thai military an open cheque. Matters inevitably get worse as they shoot themselves in the foot in nearly every engagement they are involved in. Sad but very true.

People including children are being murdered every dam day and the Government claims that things are moving in a positive direction. Positive for who ??

Twenty years ago my wife and I were caught up in the PLO bomb blast at the rail station in Hat Yai. Neither of us were seriously wounded but we were blown off our feet and covered in cuts and grazes. We were lucky, since then thousands of innocent people, young and old alike, have not fared so well over the past two decades and little intervention of any actual substance with a remote chance of bearing fruit has been brought to bear.

The Arabs have a saying that a man is only entitled to that which he is strong enough to hold on to.

Action is needed not words.

Edited November 2, 2012 by Scott
formatting

[driedmango]

I am at a point in my life where I find myself questioning who are all the other people on this planet.

Thailand has and has had for many years now a guerilla civil war going on in the "Deep South" but for reason of face saving the Government simply refuses to admit this as it could damage their precious and most lucrative tourist industry.

The answer is to clamp down on all these renegade provences with Marshal law, search and weed out the militants,protect the law abiding citizens and then start a hearts and minds program from a position of strenght and control not weakness and kaos.

Afer all it is currently recognized as Thai soverign territory.

However, this would require a well trained military with good leadership, disipline, tactical planning and the ability to see outside the box.

This is simply not possible in this country as they do not have even the smallest percentage of what is needed to implement such actions with any degree of success.

From recent history we can see what happens here when you give the Thai military an open cheque. Matters inevitabaly get worse as they shoot themselves in the foot in nearly every engagement they are involved in. Sad but very true.

People including children are being murdered every dam day and the Government claims that things are moving in a positive direction. Positive for who ??

Twenty years ago my wife and I were caught up in the PLO bomb blast at the rail station in Hat Yai. Neither of us were seriously wounded but we were blown of our feet and covered in cuts and grazes. We were lucky, since then thousands of inocent people, young and old alike, have not fared so well over the past two decades and little intervention of any actual substance with a remote chance of bearing fruit has been brought to bear.

The Arabs have a saying that a man is only entitled to that which he is strong enough to hold on to.

Action is needed not words.

When has extreme violence and fascist tactics and brutality ever solved anything, or how can it be justified, instead of a few idiots being pscyco you would just have many more pscyocs at work creating more pscyocos. Your ideas are as crazy as any other crazy crazy...

[philw]

For all the do-gooders and people who side with the people who commit these atrocities, using the excuse of Muslim Malay rights et al, get over it. Vanquished and overtaken in one of thousands of conflicts throughout history. The victors took it and settled it. If you don't happen to fit in and think killing children is your right then I wish upon you every curse and hope karma takes you and your kind to the darkest places and burn your Quran with you. You and your kind have no right to draw breath on this planet.

Er.......... has anybody expressed any approval ???

Whilst watching in Asia, do you see any approval from any TVF member for the murder of a child ??

Who is it and which kind ( per your stated opinion ) have "not the right to breath" ??

Are you, Asiawatcher, some sort of God ??

You have power of life and death perhaps ??

Are you Yaway or Alla perchance ???

Your comment is worth only derision.

As is your comment.

Do you need someone to offer an approval for these deaths for you to express your opinion? I clearly don't. Perhaps in your mind you do not see approval from anyone but clearly someone condones the killing of children. And by that action and in my opinion, they do not deserve the right of life. But you trying to equate me to some stupid religious term negates intelligent rebuttal as it would be a waste. Religion of any nature is control over weaker minds. Using that medium as an excuse to maim and kill - if anyone, they are they ones claiming to be the deities but you can expect that from people stupid enough to believe in such fabrications.

Well bitten and chew on.........

no further comment from me.

[OzMick]

For all the do-gooders and people who side with the people who commit these atrocities, using the excuse of Muslim Malay rights et al, get over it. Vanquished and overtaken in one of thousands of conflicts throughout history. The victors took it and settled it. If you don't happen to fit in and think killing children is your right then I wish upon you every curse and hope karma takes you and your kind to the darkest places and burn your Quran with you. You and your kind have no right to draw breath on this planet.

Er.......... has anybody expressed any approval ???

Whilst watching in Asia, do you see any approval from any TVF member for the murder of a child ??

Who is it and which kind ( per your stated opinion ) have "not the right to breath" ??

Are you, Asiawatcher, some sort of God ??

You have power of life and death perhaps ??

Are you Yaway or Alla perchance ???

Your comment is worth only derision.

As is your comment.

Do you need someone to offer an approval for these deaths for you to express your opinion? I clearly don't. Perhaps in your mind you do not see approval from anyone but clearly someone condones the killing of children. And by that action and in my opinion, they do not deserve the right of life. But you trying to equate me to some stupid religious term negates intelligent rebuttal as it would be a waste. Religion of any nature is control over weaker minds. Using that medium as an excuse to maim and kill - if anyone, they are they ones claiming to be the deities but you can expect that from people stupid enough to believe in such fabrications.

Well bitten and chew on.........

no further comment from me.

Read my signature and try to understand it. When atrocities like this occur, you don't have to voice approval - by not standing up and denouncing you are condoning, aiding and abetting.

These separatists have support from the local muslim population. If those supporters quietly accept acts like this in their name, they are as guilty as the perpetrators, and will be perceived as the same low-life lacking in normal human ethics.

[Scott]

Baiting, inflammatory, off-topic posts and replies have been deleted.

Please be keep it civil.

[Keesters]

Some say "an eye for an eye" others say "turn the other cheek". Personally I'd go with the later added with a bit of "stand up and be counted".

There will never be a valid excuse for terrorism.

RIP all the lost souls on both sides.

Edited November 2, 2012 by Keesters

[simple1]

Please point to any info that states that the Deep South troubles are motivated by Islamic extremism. I understand that the core issue is disenfranchise of the local people over decades, who happen to be Thai Muslims, by the Thai government, Muddying the situation is the violence undertaken by gangs trafficking drugs and cross border smuggling and of course the endemic corruption embedded in Thai government agencies.

[OzMick]

Please point to any info that states that the Deep South troubles are motivated by Islamic extremism. I understand that the core issue is disenfranchise of the local people over decades, who happen to be Thai Muslims, by the Thai government, Muddying the situation is the violence undertaken by gangs trafficking drugs and cross border smuggling and of course the endemic corruption embedded in Thai government agencies.

Looking over the posts, I don't see any that claim this is muslim extremism. It also seems to me that the locals concerned refer to themselves as Malay muslims rather than Thai muslims, but I see no indication that their voting rights have been curtailed. OTOH they do feel discriminated against because of their lack of financial prosperity - which of course has nothing to do with failing to learn the national language and a religion-based education (in most cases) which spends far too much time teaching religion and far too little teaching basics.

The separatists don't wish to see that change as it is the basis of their support. That is why they continually focus on Thai government education and schools, especially the education of girls. Case in point, the latest victims were a school janitor and his children.

Edited November 2, 2012 by OzMick

[Honkie]

@Simple 1 ...Spot on , Mate.

[simple1]

Please point to any info that states that the Deep South troubles are motivated by Islamic extremism. I understand that the core issue is disenfranchise of the local people over decades, who happen to be Thai Muslims, by the Thai government, Muddying the situation is the violence undertaken by gangs trafficking drugs and cross border smuggling and of course the endemic corruption embedded in Thai government agencies.

Looking over the posts, I don't see any that claim this is muslim extremism. It also seems to me that the locals concerned refer to themselves as Malay muslims rather than Thai muslims, but I see no indication that their voting rights have been curtailed. OTOH they do feel discriminated against because of their lack of financial prosperity - which of course has nothing to do with failing to learn the national language and a religion-based education (in most cases) which spends far too much time teaching religion and far too little teaching basics.

The separatists don't wish to see that change as it is the basis of their support. That is why they continually focus on Thai government education and schools, especially the education of girls. Case in point, the latest victims were a school janitor and his children.

Your right it looks like posts were deleted by the mods, but it's constant refrain in other threads. Yep lack of education would be a major issue over time, but the locals primarily communicate in Yawi, not Thai as used in government schools. I may be incorrect, but my understanding is that Thai government educational institutions are targeted as they represent the Thai state attempts to dilute the use of the local language & culture. But cutting off their noses to spite their faces would be an appropriate description.

Yes Muslims in the Deep South are sometimes defined as Malay, but as it's been Thai sovereign territory since 1906 (?) so I use the description Thai Muslim. As I recall their was some form of poll a few years back & 80+% of the Muslim population described themselves as Thai.

Prior to Thaksin coming to power local Muslims had reasonable political representation, but it was dismantled under Thaksin so I think disenfranchisement is the appropriate description.

Edited November 2, 2012 by simple1

[hellodolly]

I believe the Thai government believes that much of the mayhem in the South is to internationalize the problem, In the process, it seems that they are minimizing the seriousness of the situation.

I certainly feel sorry for the people living in that area.

I also feel sad for those living in the area.

Islam is a harsh religion and allows for no deviation. Support a different idea and it has room in it to allow the extremists to kill you. Age means nothing to those people. Reincarnation may be has it's draw backs and it's advantages but it is not a fairy tale allowing you to have a raft of virgins when you die if you take infidels with you and the occasional Muslim is allowed. In fact in some cases the target.

[Tim7]

​You see we are all tired of hearing this southern unrest almost daily basis. So what should we do about it? The word is Law and Order. The rule of Law and Order will put this Predators behind bars for good. I guess this word suites them more than just a Killer because Killers has a purpose of killing but this cowardly act by this monsters is without a cost. They don't talk,they don't put on paper what's their manifesto are or even have a representative to hold a dialogue with relevant authorities. I guess as much as the guns in their hands and they just shoot anyone that goes against them even a little boy. That is an act of coward who just shoot someone who just happen to by pass them or a monk who walks with an army. In many countries or any where else on earth nobody would ever agree that you should give this Predators a six months rehab. Rehabilitation's are for Junkies addicts or a deviant criminals but it is totally unacceptable to even think that rehab is the solution. The government should start thinking seriously of having a maximum security of a Guantanamo Bay in Thailand which is under military rule.The US has caught many top suspected insurgents but they also made many unlawful arrest too which is condemned by the rightist.By having such a prison especially for this monsters then the southern or else where in Thailand would be a safer place. The Southern reminds everyone of an ugly place to live in or even for a short visit. I can't think of anyone wishes to work and live there.Its a really a scary place to think of.

Its been eight years and the killings never stops. Death is at 5300 and counting...The military has all the means to put a stop but they still can't do it. why?? Because they are worry about about more killings and bombings would happen if they retaliate. So while you are worried then more killings will take place every single days. Have you guys watch the video how they spray bullets on the army victims on a motorbikes sometime ago? It makes to think that such things can happen even with CCTV placed on the sites of the incidents. Simply because no tough actions has been enforced. The army must have a grip on power when problems arise in 4 Southern states.This people have no foundation of respects to anyone even to elderly of 70 or 80 years old. Other militants just like the one in south Philippines who have their own goals but what i see here is just some form of recruits by their leaders with no agenda but going around to make villagers fear of them. Its like a bad cowboys with a bad sheriff. They do have ISA here but it served no purpose.In neighboring countries ISA means Internal Security Act which says whoever post a treat to national security will be arrested without trial and to be imprisonment minimum 2 years in a prison just for ISA detainees and after two years if the detainee found to be unsuitable to join the societies then another two years more will be extended. The power to release them lies on the highest ruler of the country.

I think the armies knows who this people are and where their nest is. All you need to do is to capture them and trow them into this cell and brain wash them and daily interrogations. Rehab them and funding them to do business is a laughing stock for the whole world. So where is the justice for all the families they killed. Another word you are just showing them your weakness by catching them and releasing them again to plan more attacks. The military is fully equipped compared to them.Hello we are not in Sudan or Somalia where the militants takes in charge of everything. I don't think in this case talking is easy but the rule of law should be upheld and never compromised.

Sorry guys for the long note..