Thailand sticks to peace talks despite killings of police

[webfact]

Thailand sticks to peace talks despite killings of police

BANGKOK, September 11, 2013 (AFP) - Five police officers were shot dead in an ambush in Thailand's insurgency-hit south on Wednesday, officials said, but the government vowed the attack would not derail fragile peace efforts.

The shooting comes a day after two soldiers were killed in an attack at a school in the south by suspected rebels, apparently intent on disrupting the peace talks.

Muslim-majority southern Thailand has suffered an insurgency for nearly a decade that has claimed thousands of lives.

Wednesday's attack was carried out by gunmen in the back of a pick-up truck which swerved in front of a police vehicle, causing it to stop, according to police in Thung Yang Daeng district of Pattani province.

The gunmen then opened fire and all "five police officers were killed" at the scene, local police commander Kowit Rattanachot said.

The dead officers were part of an anti-smuggling unit, police official Chuachat Yaodam said, without speculating whether the incident was linked with illicit trade across the border with Malaysia.

"The suspects are at large... after the shooting, they scattered nails on the road," Chuachat said, apparently to aid their escape.

In a separate incident some 15 kilometres (nine miles) away, a civilian was shot dead, he added.

Civilians have borne the brunt of the festering insurgency which has seen near-daily attacks claim the lives of more than 5,700 people.

Shadowy militants, led by the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) rebel group, are held responsible for orchestrating the violence in a bid to gain some form of autonomy for several provinces in Thailand's deep south which were annexed by the Buddhist kingdom a century ago.

The ongoing attacks come despite several rounds of peace talks, hosted by Malaysia, between the Thai authorities and the BRN.

After Wednesday's shooting Thailand's chief negotiator said talks would continue.

"The more they kill, the more we need to have the meetings so we can find out why and who committed the incidents," Paradorn Pattanatabut, head of the National Security Council, told AFP.

"The talks must continue," he added, echoing comments on Tuesday in which he said a new round of discussions should be held in October.


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-09-11

[lee b]

How many people have to lose there lives before peace starts?

[webfact]

SOUTH CRISIS
Suspected insurgents kill five policemen in Pattani

PATTANI: -- Suspected separatists on Wednesday shot dead five plain clothes policemen who were investigating oil smuggling in the deep southern provinces.

"The suspects opened fire on the policemen while they were in a pickup truck," Internal Security Operations Command spokesman Colonel Pramote Prom-in said.

"When the truck stopped, the suspects pulled them out and finished them off, taking their guns and mobile phones," he said.

The incident occurred at 10.40am in Tung Yang Daeng district of Pattani, 770 kilometres south of Bangkok.

The five policemen were on a mission to collect information on oil smuggling in the South, one of the main illicit activities in the restive region, Pramote said.

Pattani is one of Thailand’s three southern provinces that have suffered violence since 2004 that has resulted in at least 5,300 deaths.

The insurgents are seeking autonomy in the majority-Muslim region in predominantly Buddhist Thailand.


-- The Nation 2013-09-11

[gemini81]

I thought only Chalerm was capable of such contradictory rubbish.

[yourauntbob]

These cowardly scum should be hunted down, have their genitals removed, and kept a live in a Thai prison for as long as possible. A quick shot in the head is to good for people who kill others "in the name of God." The heck with peace, you cant talk logically with illogical people.

p.s. this goes for members of other religions as well though lately there has only been one that are doing these types of things on the regular.

[drdoom6996]

These cowardly scum should be hunted down, have their genitals removed, and kept a live in a Thai prison for as long as possible. A quick shot in the head is to good for people who kill others "in the name of God." The heck with peace, you cant talk logically with illogical people.

p.s. this goes for members of other religions as well though lately there has only been one that are doing these types of things on the regular.

Well said!

[impulse]

Let's see. The police were down investigating smuggled oil when they were shot.

Yet here come the Muslim haters, making this all about religion.

I guess Al Capone killed for Christ? He was, after all Catholic. What other motive could he possibly have had?

String 'em up for sure. But this looks more about crime, greed and money than Islam.

Edited September 11, 2013 by impulse

[greg71]

UN peackeeping force maybe ? If Thailand can lose the losing face issue this might be an option.

[yourauntbob]

Let's see. The police were down investigating smuggled oil when they were shot.

Yet here come the Muslim haters, making this all about religion.

I guess Al Capone killed for Christ? He was, after all Catholic. What other motive could he possibly have had?

String 'em up for sure. But this looks more about crime, greed and money than Islam.

the poster on here did not make it about religion, the ignorant bas___rds that keep killing people in the name of God do. I dont hate Muslims, I have friends that are Muslim. I hate people that shoot innocent people.

[realfunster]

I heard this on the way home tonight on the English language radio news provided by the Government( 88.0 fm). Even more disturbing was their report mentioned that the 5 men were dragged from the truck to be 'finished off ' after the initial firefight. Sad to say there doesn't seem to be any meaningful progress with resolving the issues in the South.

[hellodolly]

Let's see. The police were down investigating smuggled oil when they were shot.

Yet here come the Muslim haters, making this all about religion.

I guess Al Capone killed for Christ? He was, after all Catholic. What other motive could he possibly have had?

String 'em up for sure. But this looks more about crime, greed and money than Islam.

Praise Allah

What is going to happen if heaven runs out of virgins. Trying to blame smugglers is kind of a lame attempt. Smugglers do not want to draw attention to them selves. DUH

[MaiChai]

These cowardly scum should be hunted down, have their genitals removed, and kept a live in a Thai prison for as long as possible.  A quick shot in the head is to good for people who kill others "in the name of God."  The heck with peace, you cant talk logically with illogical people.

 

 

p.s. this goes for members of other religions as well though lately there has only been one that are doing these types of things on the regular.

Its not as simple as that. There is another side to story that you don't hear about. And both sides perform atrocities. You only ever hear one side in the Thai press.

[webfact]

SOUTH CRISIS
5 shot dead in Pattani attack
The Nation



PATTANI: -- Five police officers working for an anti-smuggling unit were killed in Pattani yesterday when their vehicle was attacked by a group of gunmen.

Among the dead were a police major and a police lieutenant.

The attack, carried out by five or six armed men, took place on a rural road in the southern border province's Thung Yang Daeng district, according to Colonel Pramote Prom-in, spokesman for the Forward Command of Internal Security Operation Command's Region 4 unit in the South.

He identified the slain policemen as Pol Major Santichai Sartpradit, Pol Lieutenant Anawil Akunsada, Pol Senior Sgt-Major Masuding Meesa, Pol Sgt-Major Maroning Yuso and Pol Sgt-Major Sompote Somprasong.

They worked for an oil-smuggling suppression team attached to the Police Operation Centre in the Southern Border Provinces. The policemen were on a mission to collect information on oil smuggling, one of the main illicit activities in the restive border region.

The bodies of four of the policemen were found lying outside their pickup truck while the other body was found inside the vehicle, according to Pol Colonel Kowit Ratanachote, superintendent of Pattani's Thung Yang Daeng district station, which is investigating the multiple killings. He said all five officers were in plain clothes, and their vehicle had a Bangkok licence plate.

Police arriving at the scene found that the slain officers' vehicle was ransacked and their weapons and body-armour vests had been stolen.

Isoc's Pramote yesterday said the latest incident indicated there was a connection between the violence in the border region and the underground trade in drugs, smuggled petrol and other contraband.

Meanwhile in Yala, another southern border province, a school was ordered closed for three days from yesterday to tomorrow following an explosion on Tuesday that killed two soldier guards and injured two other people.

An executive of Kanarassadorn Bamrung 2 School said yesterday that the school would be reopened on Monday.


-- The Nation 2013-09-12

[yourauntbob]

These cowardly scum should be hunted down, have their genitals removed, and kept a live in a Thai prison for as long as possible. A quick shot in the head is to good for people who kill others "in the name of God." The heck with peace, you cant talk logically with illogical people.

p.s. this goes for members of other religions as well though lately there has only been one that are doing these types of things on the regular.

Its not as simple as that. There is another side to story that you don't hear about. And both sides perform atrocities. You only ever hear one side in the Thai press.

As my mother used to say "two wrongs dont make a right"

I know this government is capable of doing things to its citizens that are inhumane, but there is no excuse for killing innocent people. Many of these stories are about them killing teachers trying to help the community none the less. Sorry, nothing justifies that.

[Hans12345]

What I do not understand is why are they driving in a normal pickup, the govement should provide with armored verhicles.

I mean a lot of the police and military drive in normal pickups wich makes them easy targets.

[Jay Sata]

I thought Chalerm was going to fix this?

[fasteddie]

These cowardly scum should be hunted down, have their genitals removed, and kept a live in a Thai prison for as long as possible. A quick shot in the head is to good for people who kill others "in the name of God." The heck with peace, you cant talk logically with illogical people.

p.s. this goes for members of other religions as well though lately there has only been one that are doing these types of things on the regular.

Not sure how long you can keep genitals alive in prison.