THAI TALK

The deep south: How many more teachers must die?

Suthichai Yoon

The Nation

PATTANI: -- Education Minister Pongthep Thepkanchana was quick to show his concern for frightened teachers in the deep South. He flew down to Pattani last Thursday to meet about 1,500 teachers who told him they want the central government to do more to make teaching children safe.

But the story that emerged from the meeting was not about how to effectively prevent terrorists from taking the life of the next teacher to fall victim to violence. It was about bumping up the Bt2,500 "hazard pay" by another Bt1,000 for teachers in the region.

A total of 157 teachers have been gunned down over the past decade in the southern provinces by insurgents who are determined to disrupt normal life there. Innocent teachers have fallen victim to the violence, which is aimed at discrediting the central government and its ability to keep law and order.

The latest victims were reported on Tuesday in a school compound in Mayo district of Pattani province, where seven teachers were having lunch. They were killed by a group of insurgents disguised as rangers. It was a blatant attack that put the authorities to shame. It was as if security measures, despite a series of attacks against teachers the week before, were non-existent.

Killed were Baan Ba-ngo, the school's female director; 49-year-old Tatiyarat Cheukaew; and 38-year-old teacher Somsak Kwanma. They died without knowing why their work - educating local children - is being targeted by the insurgents, or why the central government has failed to prevent such attacks.

Before Tuesday's shocking incident, 33-year-old Chatsuda Nilsuwan, a teacher from Ban Ta-ngo, Cho Airong district of Narathiwat province, was killed in another assault. The next day, a 52-year-old teacher, Thirapol Chusaongsaeng at Ban Noko School, was shot and injured in the same province.

Last week's shootings prompted the Confederation of Teachers in Narathiwat to suspend classes at 378 schools in the province, pending assurances from local authorities that more effective protection would be provided.

"We didn't really want to close the schools, because that would play into the hands of the insurgents, whose aim is to prove that they can halt the normalcy of life here anytime they want," said one of the confederation's leaders.

The incident triggered a call for the suspension of classes at more than 300 schools in Pattani alone, apparently to pressure the authorities concerned to review all security measures for local teachers.

The loopholes in the system to ensure safety for teachers are plainly too many to plug.

Fourth Army Zone commander Lieutenant General Udomchai Thammasaroraj pledged to beef up protection measures. The new education minister promised to raise the hazard pay by Bt1,000 to Bt3,500. Schools were reopened on December 3.

But just as negotiations were progressing, the insurgents were back on the attack. They torched a school at Amphoe Panarae in Pattani on November 29 and another one nearby on December 2, despite stepped-up security measures.

How could such blatant attacks take place despite the renewed effort of the authorities to provide protection to teachers?

It is hard not to suggest that the authorities - including the military, police and civilian officers - are plainly out of touch with reality. One would have thought that all these incidents would have put every security unit on red alert.

Panarae district, it has been pointed out, had one of the heaviest concentrations of military personnel in the area just as the spate of insurgent activity was being launched.

The tactics employed by the insurgents are being repeated successfully without any effective counter-measures by local anti-insurgent elements. They are disguising themselves as local rangers, policemen and volunteers when carrying out attacks. It is an old ploy that remains unchallenged by the authorities, suggesting that government forces are unable to devise effective means to neutralise these very basic tactics that disrupt local lives.

Other well-known tactics employed by the insurgents remain successful tools, including ambushing troops and policemen, seizing weapons, planting bombs at roadside locations, as well as using motorcycle and car bombs. They have also torched business properties in towns and cities to cause panic and fear.

None of these terror tactics are new or unstoppable. The fact that they can be employed to cause chaos at will indicates that the joint security forces have failed to map out successful counter-insurgency strategies to blunt the attacks.

Teachers and schools have become the most vulnerable targets. Unless the central government and local authorities work out an effective and sustainable set of preventive measures, no amount in "hazard bonuses" or whistle-stop visits by Cabinet members to the troubled region will bring us any nearer to a real solution.

-- The Nation 2012-12-13

Education Minister Pongthep Thepkanchana was quick to show his concern for frightened teachers in the deep South.

"Here is another B1000 for your troubles, now shut up and go back to work!!"

Edited December 12, 201213 yr by dcutman

Before i read the article I was jokingly thinking a bit of hazard pay might lesson their concerns .. seems I was wrong and what is needed is "more" hazard pay.

The deep south: How many more teachers must die?

Chalerm would be the best person to answer that question.

How many more teachers have to die??? As long as politicians protect Bangkok, only Bangkok and sh******tload on other provinces like the South of Thailand.

The miltary needs to get its act together...they need to sweep the region from the inside out and the outside in, in all four directions NSEW and all points inbetween...with helicopter gun ships following ground troops just a tad out of range of Terrorist Gun Fire...and keep sweeping the area...until they kill every last one of those Bastards.

Sure innocent people are going to die, but they are being murdered now.

TAKE NO Prisoners Except the ones you Can Waterboard and torure the living poop out of to get information.

IT IS A WAR...not a Police Action.

Edited December 13, 201213 yr by jerrysteve

They should ban religion of peace and close all mosques for retalliation

I did not bother reading this article, as it is a run-on article of the insanity before us.

As to how many more teachers must be murdered (as the article headline should have put, but we know the media is always leaning towards stupidity, inoffensiveness and cowardice towards the evil in the world) I do not know, but I am certain that many more will be murdered.

A brief thought about the soldier in the photo: What if the Thais were to copy the West, and dress the soldiers up in civilian clothes the same as air wardens on US national, inbound and outbound flights?

It seems an odd statement of callousness that the brave soldiers wear kevlar vests and helmets as they waltz in and about the scantily clad children and elderly. Perhaps the situation would be taken more seriously by the soldiers and their superiors if they ALL had to wear the same clothing as those whom they supposedly protect.

As legend has it, after his men got ashore, Cortés burned the ships that brought them. He wanted his men to understand fully that their only option was to win or die – there would be no retreat. Knowing their options were limited now, the Spanish army would fight harder and with more determination.

A killer won't shoot at the soldier, clearly; so what good is it for the soldier to be present? He is nothing more than a marker, placed there as a challenge to the killers as if to say, "C'mon, just try and shoot someone, even though both you and I know I cannot do a dam_n thing about it."

A police action never stopped the killing; it merely served as a governor to stall whilst the <deleted> in positions of power played with people's lives as if they were pawns in some morbid game of politics.

Hard to not like this "peaceful religion".

I came across a very interesting essay on how to fight terrorism. I think it is worth a read as the actions the Thai government is currently taking dismisses the undermining of Trust that has been going on all along between the general population and its government. After reading this essay, I can see clearly how it is possible that the solution lies within the people, and not outside forces or even the government.

Essays on Terrorism

Benjamin Kuipers, PhD, Professor, Computer Sciences, University of Texas

at Austin

Edited December 13, 201213 yr by cup-O-coffee

I did not bother reading this article, as it is a run-on article of the insanity before us.

As to how many more teachers must be murdered (as the article headline should have put, but we know the media is always leaning towards stupidity, inoffensiveness and cowardice towards the evil in the world) I do not know, but I am certain that many more will be murdered.

A brief thought about the soldier in the photo: What if the Thais were to copy the West, and dress the soldiers up in civilian clothes the same as air wardens on US national, inbound and outbound flights?

It seems an odd statement of callousness that the brave soldiers wear kevlar vests and helmets as they waltz in and about the scantily clad children and elderly. Perhaps the situation would be taken more seriously by the soldiers and their superiors if they ALL had to wear the same clothing as those whom they supposedly protect.

As legend has it, after his men got ashore, Cortés burned the ships that brought them. He wanted his men to understand fully that their only option was to win or die – there would be no retreat. Knowing their options were limited now, the Spanish army would fight harder and with more determination.

A killer won't shoot at the soldier, clearly; so what good is it for the soldier to be present? He is nothing more than a marker, placed there as a challenge to the killers as if to say, "C'mon, just try and shoot someone, even though both you and I know I cannot do a dam_n thing about it."

A police action never stopped the killing; it merely served as a governor to stall whilst the <deleted> in positions of power played with people's lives as if they were pawns in some morbid game of politics.

A killer won't shoot at the soldier, clearly; so what good is it for the soldier to be present? Guess you are not really informed and really don't read any articles...... check the stats & news how often Soldiers ARE killed... I have friends there..

Edited December 13, 201213 yr by BigSkip

If you believe your religion is worth killing for please start with yourself.

Funny that such an article is from the hand or a "Nation" editor. The Nation always hide murder and bombings in the South in the middle of their royalist fanletter and still refuses to call the Muslims committing murder "insurgents". The Nation still reserves the name "terrorists" for those fighting the establishment without killing on hurting anyone except maybe the feelings of the old rich.

I did not bother reading this article, as it is a run-on article of the insanity before us.

As to how many more teachers must be murdered (as the article headline should have put, but we know the media is always leaning towards stupidity, inoffensiveness and cowardice towards the evil in the world) I do not know, but I am certain that many more will be murdered.

A brief thought about the soldier in the photo: What if the Thais were to copy the West, and dress the soldiers up in civilian clothes the same as air wardens on US national, inbound and outbound flights?

It seems an odd statement of callousness that the brave soldiers wear kevlar vests and helmets as they waltz in and about the scantily clad children and elderly. Perhaps the situation would be taken more seriously by the soldiers and their superiors if they ALL had to wear the same clothing as those whom they supposedly protect.

As legend has it, after his men got ashore, Cortés burned the ships that brought them. He wanted his men to understand fully that their only option was to win or die – there would be no retreat. Knowing their options were limited now, the Spanish army would fight harder and with more determination.

A killer won't shoot at the soldier, clearly; so what good is it for the soldier to be present? He is nothing more than a marker, placed there as a challenge to the killers as if to say, "C'mon, just try and shoot someone, even though both you and I know I cannot do a dam_n thing about it."

A police action never stopped the killing; it merely served as a governor to stall whilst the <deleted> in positions of power played with people's lives as if they were pawns in some morbid game of politics.

A killer won't shoot at the soldier, clearly; so what good is it for the soldier to be present? Guess you are not really informed and really don't read any articles...... check the stats & news how often Soldiers ARE killed... I have friends there..

Yes, soldiers are killed. I should have inserted the word "generally", which is what I meant without going to great lengths to spell it out. Sorry to hear of the losses of your friends and loved ones.

Sooner or later (SOONER I hope!) political correctness will have to take a back seat to truth. We keep stepping gingerly around truth, using code words like "religion of peace" (ROP). The people from ROP openly confirm they will not compromise and the only options for the rest of the world is convert or die. OK, "rest of the world," where do we go from here?

Sooner or later (SOONER I hope!) political correctness will have to take a back seat to truth. We keep stepping gingerly around truth, using code words like "religion of peace" (ROP). The people from ROP openly confirm they will not compromise and the only options for the rest of the world is convert or die. OK, "rest of the world," where do we go from here?

The best answer I have found is to change the way society thinks.

In doing some research, I have found that terrorism finds its root in societies that are at unrest, and have lost their direction; namely their trust in their own government. Education is poor, government corruption is rampant, etc. Basically the general population does not trust the government, and therefore it sees no reason why it should take an active role in fighting terrorism. After all, why call the cops when you feel nothing will be done or that in doing so you will become a target and have your family slain?

So, I think that the best way to fight terrorism is to raise the quality of life for the people in that country. Eliminate corruption in government. Create more jobs and provide better education, as well as free general education to the masses. Begin to open their minds.

It is not going to be an easy process, nor a fast one, but after a time, the general population will begin to see that their lives are better off without the mayhem that terrorists create and thrive on.

When the general population has a healthy trust in their government and their law enforcement, they will begin to take the reins of being the eyes and ears for that government and that law enforcement and begin turning these people in when they even slightly begin to be anti-social or exhibit behaviors that might upset the balance of the quality of life that the general population has become addicted to.

In a country where unrest thrives (like Thailand) terrorism will never go away until the people feel that they have some control over their lives and an established trust with a government (their government) that is genuinely interested in their well-being.

Terrorism thrives on the uneducated and ignorant, much like gangs. Terrorism thrives on the disenchanted and abandoned.

No government will ever be able to defeat terrorism single handedly without the aid of the general population, simply because many terrorists are those same people who have been cheated by their government or other governments who have invaded. When the quality of life is improved, many "terrorists" will turn their swords into plowshares and become decent people again. The ones who are just plain murderers will be harvested out by their own kind who are sick of the bloodshed. The government will not have to do anything. It will take care of itself.

A terrorist, generally speaking, is a healthy organism in the body that has gone bad, but the body needs it still to survive. It is the cancer that needs to be dealt with, but if you provide good things to the body, those cells gone bad will convert back into healthy cells and turn on the cancerous ones all on their own. You don't need surgery with a bayonet, just a healthy life-style for all.

Give the people better education; better health care, better opportunites and more reasons to smile a genuine smile. Get rid of corrupt government and corrupt police officers. The Thai government and Thai law enforcement is killing itself with its own greed, and it is spawning a fertile ground for terrorism to grow.

There are clearly more citizenry than there are terrorists, but it is clearly the citizenry where these terrorists are coming from and religion really has nothing to do with this.

This is a wake up call to the Thai government and those crooked bastards in brown!

Edited December 14, 201213 yr by cup-O-coffee

Sooner or later (SOONER I hope!) political correctness will have to take a back seat to truth. We keep stepping gingerly around truth, using code words like "religion of peace" (ROP). The people from ROP openly confirm they will not compromise and the only options for the rest of the world is convert or die. OK, "rest of the world," where do we go from here?

The best answer I have found is to change the way society thinks.

In doing some research, I have found that terrorism finds its root in societies that are at unrest, and have lost their direction; namely their trust in their own government. Education is poor, government corruption is rampant, etc. Basically the general population does not trust the government, and therefore it sees no reason why it should take an active role in fighting terrorism. After all, why call the cops when you feel nothing will be done or that in doing so you will become a target and have your family slain?

So, I think that the best way to fight terrorism is to raise the quality of life for the people in that country. Eliminate corruption in government. Create more jobs and provide better education, as well as free general education to the masses. Begin to open their minds.

It is not going to be an easy process, nor a fast one, but after a time, the general population will begin to see that their lives are better off without the mayhem that terrorists create and thrive on.

When the general population has a healthy trust in their government and their law enforcement, they will begin to take the reins of being the eyes and ears for that government and that law enforcement and begin turning these people in when they even slightly begin to be anti-social or exhibit behaviors that might upset the balance of the quality of life that the general population has become addicted to.

In a country where unrest thrives (like Thailand) terrorism will never go away until the people feel that they have some control over their lives and an established trust with a government (their government) that is genuinely interested in their well-being.

Terrorism thrives on the uneducated and ignorant, much like gangs. Terrorism thrives on the disenchanted and abandoned.

No government will ever be able to defeat terrorism single handedly without the aid of the general population, simply because many terrorists are those same people who have been cheated by their government or other governments who have invaded. When the quality of life is improved, many "terrorists" will turn their swords into plowshares and become decent people again. The ones who are just plain murderers will be harvested out by their own kind who are sick of the bloodshed. The government will not have to do anything. It will take care of itself.

A terrorist, generally speaking, is a healthy organism in the body that has gone bad, but the body needs it still to survive. It is the cancer that needs to be dealt with, but if you provide good things to the body, those cells gone bad will convert back into healthy cells and turn on the cancerous ones all on their own. You don't need surgery with a bayonet, just a healthy life-style for all.

Give the people better education; better health care, better opportunites and more reasons to smile a genuine smile. Get rid of corrupt government and corrupt police officers. The Thai government and Thai law enforcement is killing itself with its own greed, and it is spawning a fertile ground for terrorism to grow.

There are clearly more citizenry than there are terrorists, but it is clearly the citizenry where these terrorists are coming from and religion really has nothing to do with this.

This is a wake up call to the Thai government and those crooked bastards in brown!

In full agreement, only problem is no immediate votes in it for the current government and not on the puppet masters agenda.

Until the Thai government gets serious about the situation in the South, teachers -- and others -- will continue to die.

The Thai government -- regardless of which party has been in control -- has done nothing significant to address the issues, and more often has only made things worse.

After all, so many people down there are just Muslims who don't matter. That's not my personal belief, that's the way the government acts toward the deep South.

i have been here about 7 years now. previous to that, i came here many, many times on holiday, mainly to the south after a day or two in bkk. these attacks are nothing new. when the insurgents are not targeting the schools, they were and still do target monks and temples.

you've got to ask yourself, why for decades, has this been aloud to happen? just posting troops year after year obviously isn't enough. when will the government wake up and realise that it really is time to make a concerted effort and do more about terrorism in it's own country? f*** the reds, yellows, THE MAN that's about to be pardoned, what about the cancer that is eating and alienating many inhabitants that live down south?? what about some real intel and action with these scum bags???

thai government, stop counting your money, back-handers, brown envelopes and start to do something real about your country!

i have been here about 7 years now. previous to that, i came here many, many times on holiday, mainly to the south after a day or two in bkk. these attacks are nothing new. when the insurgents are not targeting the schools, they were and still do target monks and temples.

you've got to ask yourself, why for decades, has this been aloud to happen? just posting troops year after year obviously isn't enough. when will the government wake up and realise that it really is time to make a concerted effort and do more about terrorism in it's own country? f*** the reds, yellows, THE MAN that's about to be pardoned, what about the cancer that is eating and alienating many inhabitants that live down south?? what about some real intel and action with these scum bags???

thai government, stop counting your money, back-handers, brown envelopes and start to do something real about your country!

Well said. Invest in the wounded and heal them instead of shooting them. They will see the change in their lives and choose the higher road all on their own accord. The Mullahs will have to change their tune, or go elsewhere. There is no future in telling fat and happy citizens gathered in a Mosque to destroy a government that takes care of the people assembled there. Send the message back to the terrorists through the people, who now have a better quality of life: "Stop the insane mantras that put our good lives at risk, or you will be next!"

You do not need soldiers. What you need are signs and evidence of good things and more to come if the people embrace those things. Mullahs do not put food on the table or give the children education, and so far neither has the government, but the people will choose the religion every time over the government, because of their abject belief in what IS to come yet has not been proven. The mullahs can be de-barked with material goods put into the hands of the people, and more government care towards their immediate needs for food, jobs, education and better living standards, etc.

I believe that once this is engaged and the effects of material goods and fulfilled promises permeate the masses, that the general population itself will rid the virus as much as a healthy body that has been given the right medicine and care. Soldiers are not needed. It is as stupid as slapping a sick person in the face and telling them to get better or else.

Edited December 15, 201213 yr by cup-O-coffee