Three dead, two injured in southern violence

[Lite Beer]

SOUTH CRISIS
Three dead, two injured in southern violence
The Sunday Nation

BANGKOK: -- Former village headman assistant Chalee Samato and two of his friends were shot dead while another friend was injured in a drive-by attack on a teashop in Yala's Raman district, yesterday morning. Two rubber tapers were also wounded in a separate attack in Kabang district.

Chalee and his friends were having tea at the shop at around 9am when assailants in an Isuzu pick-up truck opened fire at them with M16 rifles, before fleeing with the three victims' pistols.

Police suspect the shootings are linked to insurgent violence and may also have been carried out to avenge the death of leading insurgent member Madari Tayeh on June 20 in Raman district. However, they said a local political conflict could still not be ruled out.

At 2am in Kabang district, two male farmers in their 40s were shot and injured in a para-rubber plantation in Tambon Bala. Police blamed separatists.

In Than To and Ban Hae districts, eleven security cameras were found destroyed.

Meanwhile, a special task force unit raided a rubber plantation in Tambon Yupo in Muang district where insurgents led by Loki Doloh were reportedly hiding, but only bomb making materials were found in the raid. The plantation owner was questioned, however, he maintained his innocence.

-- The Nation 2013-08-25

[noitom]

Sad continuing story of mounting death count in Thailand. Must be over 10,000 by now. In addition, how many maimed and injured?

[Lite Beer]

Three civilians gunned down in restive Thai south

BANGKOK: Gunmen dressed as local officials killed three Muslim civilians at a tea shop in Thailand's insurgency-hit south on Saturday, according to police, in the latest act of violence in the festering rebellion.

Up to eight suspected rebels wearing government-style caps and carrying apparent official documents opened fire with machine guns on the tea shop in Raman district of Yala province on Saturday morning.

"They were dressed like security officials and carried official documents pretending that they were there to gather information," Major Prathuang Suwanchatri of Raman police said.

"All three victims were former village headman or deputy headmen who had cooperated with authorities in the past," he said, adding another person was injured in the shooting.

Yala is one of several provinces in Thailand's Muslim-majority south, where some 5,700 people have been killed since the insurgency flared in 2004.

Rounds of peace talks in Malaysia between Thai authorities and some rebel groups, including the Barisan Revolusi Nasional, had raised tentative hopes of peace.

But the rebels had threatened to pull out of the peace dialogue, although new discussions about the direction of the peace talks took place on Friday.

After the meeting Thailand's army chief General Prayut Chan-O-Cha said authorities were willing to continue talks next month, but urged rebels to end their attacks.

"We regret all of the losses and injuries but if you (the rebels) want to submit demands, you must stop all violence first," he said, adding a key insurgent demand to have the region recognised as an autonomous zone was not possible as it is breached the kingdom's constitution.

Talks began on March 28 in neighbouring Malaysia but have so far failed to halt near-daily violence, raising questions about the rebel group's influence over increasingly violent grassroots insurgents.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/three-civilians-gunned-down-in-restive-thai-south-41548.php

-- Phuket News 2013-08-25

[simple1]

Sad continuing story of mounting death count in Thailand. Must be over 10,000 by now. In addition, how many maimed and injured?

Heading towards 6,000 deaths during the entire period on the insurgency. Details of the esculation from 2004 until 12/2012 at:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/3380-killed-in-nine-years-of-violence-30197241.html

Edited August 25, 2013 by simple1

[annabel]

Sad continuing story of mounting death count in Thailand. Must be over 10,000 by now. In addition, how many maimed and injured?

Heading towards 6,000 deaths during the entire period on the insurgency. Details of the esculation from 2004 until 12/2012 at:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/3380-killed-in-nine-years-of-violence-30197241.html

When will this insanity / madness stop.............??? When will the government get serious and do something to stop it ??????????