Five security personnel killed in Thai south: police

BANGKOK, May 28, 2013 (AFP) - Five Thai security personnel have been killed in a fresh spate of gun and bomb attacks which the government on Tuesday blamed on insurgents seeking to disrupt a fragile peace process.

Despite two rounds of peace talks since March, near-daily bloodshed in the Muslim-dominated deep south near the border with Malaysia has raised questions over how much control rebel leaders hold over radical militants.

Two paramilitary rangers on patrol were shot dead in an ambush on Tuesday morning in Pattani province, police said in a statement.

A day earlier, a border patrol police officer was killed and three others wounded by a roadside bomb in the same province, while two security guards died in a separate bomb blast at a school.

A nine-year-old insurgency has claimed more than 5,500 lives in the region, where many local people complain of a long history of discrimination by Thai authorities in the Buddhist-majority nation.

Security personnel and those connected with the government are regularly targeted in the attacks, as well as Muslims perceived to be collaborating with the authorities.

Thailand held its first official talks with representatives of one of the main rebel groups, the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), in Malaysia in March, followed by a second round in April. The next meeting is set for June 13.

Thai National Security Council chief Paradorn Pattanatabut, the top Thai negotiator, said the latest attacks were the work of radical insurgents opposed to the peace moves.

"It's because they don't want the peace dialogue to continue," he told reporters.

While the exact aims of the rebels are unclear, a BRN representative said in a video statement in April that they wanted "liberation" from the kingdom.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-05-28

Very sad. RIP the five.

Condolences to the friends, family and fellow soldiers.

I wish these threads were getting fewer, but they seem to be getting more frequent.

RIP. Condolences to friends and families. What a shame.

Thailand, talking nice isn't going to do it.

In addition to those killed how many were injured is not stated. For every one killed there is probably at least one injured. For instance my wife's nephew was involved in this incident, he apparently had his arm blown off.

Looks like they are stepping up the pressure and neither the govt., nor the army have a clue what to do. They desperately need to get some training from overseas. Instead of just running around like chickens with their heads cut off ! and a diet of daily stupid remarks and orders from the hierachy.

Condolences to the friends, family and fellow soldiers.

I wish these threads were getting fewer, but they seem to be getting more frequent.

Sorry, I am no longer commenting on this issue, it's right out of hand and getting worse, what's more I am only repeating myself, total waste of time.

I too am getting tired of all this endless crap from both the authorities and the gutter press that prevails in this cesspit.

There is a civil war going on and has been so for many years.

What is evident is that neither the army nor government have the balls and conviction to take the steps that are so blatenty needed to end this senseless violence.

Get rid of motorbikes and these stupid truck patrols and equip both the police and military with APV'S. There are so many of such vehicles lying idle in barracks all around Thailand Evoke a pratical form of marshall law that suits the demographics of the area and sweep and destroy the hotbeds of such violence.

Get rid of so called commanders who ask teachers to put themselves under curfew.

I have lived all over this world but yet to find any comparison as to how dumb they are.in LOS

Turn Saudi Arabia into a sheet of glass and these attacks would dwindle away. Their financing and Religious advisers depend on Saudi money.

Turn Saudi Arabia into a sheet of glass and these attacks would dwindle away. Their financing and Religious advisers depend on Saudi money.

Geeeee. Great idea. No more Saudi oil and prices will rocket in your homeland causing massive economic damage.

Great thinking Sherlock.