Thai Bomb Theft Sparks Terror Fear

[george]

Thai bomb theft sparks terror fear

Police are on high alert after a spate of violence in the region.

Police are on high alert after a spate of violence in the region.

BANGKOK, Thailand -- The theft of a large stash of explosive material by suspected Islamic insurgents has sparked a terror alert in southern Thailand.

A group of about 10 men broke into a rock quarrying factory in Yala province on Tuesday, tied up two security guards and took the explosives away in a truck, The Associated Press reported a police official as saying.

He said 66 bags, each weighing 50 kilograms (110 pounds), of ammonium nitrate, 58 sticks of dynamite, 170 fuses and other objects were missing.

Lt. Gen. Thani Twibsri, the deputy commander of the regional police, said the theft was the work of terrorist groups "who must be planning a major attack and were running short of stock."

Three southern provinces have been under martial law since gunmen raided an army camp in Narathiwat in January, killing four soldiers.

"[The theft] is the work of the same group of terrorists who have been creating the violence and causing trouble in the area," Deputy Prime Minister Chaturon Chaisang told reporters.

"We have to admit that the more the government tries, the more (the violence) escalates."

More than 50 people, mostly security officials, have been killed since the January 4 attack.

The worst single incident was a weekend bomb attack in Sungai Kolok that wounded at least 28 people.

No one has claimed responsibility for setting off the explosives, loaded on a motorcycle.

The spate of violence has become Thailand's most serious domestic security crisis since the end of a communist insurgency in the early 1980s.

"The locals' greatest fear is about security. Now people are afraid of everyone and they are growing distrustful of the police," Chaturon said.

Islamic separatist insurgents are suspected to be behind the unrest, largely the result of disenchantment among the minority Muslims with the Buddhist government and the discrimination they face, experts say.

Muslims make up nearly 10 percent of Thailand's 65 million people.

Gen. Pallop Pinmanee, deputy chief of the Internal Security Operations Command, told reporters Wednesday there were about 500 separatist insurgents active in the area and that their goal was to become a force of 3,000.

"The militants are increasing at an alarming rate. A few years ago they had less than four dozen," he said.

--CNN 2004-03-31

[wolf5370]

Doh! Millitary Law's working well then!

Surely an obvious target, especially after the army base raid that netted them guns and ammo. Why was this not under police guard, or moved to a safe location (released to the legitimate blasters in small quantaties as required)?

[A. BOOZER]

Wolf's response shows the logical train of thought, however this is Thailand! Suppose the best that can be hoped for now, is that the thieves manage to blow themselves up, without hurting any innocent people.

[happymanme]

because its thailand ,

that would have to take free thought and the ability to respond to the problem.

but yes explosives = trouble

to be honest the authority probably didnt even know they were there until this happened.would they have permits or such like.would they have them locked in a stong room unlikly.so then this happens

[castelleone]

wasn`t something like that to be expected and shouldn`t there have been stronger guards?

Everyone knows that in the South of Thailand something is cooking. So now they have to catch the thieves before these will blow up some disco or singasong.

Very sad, the whole thing.

[noutram]

Hi,

after yesterdays find of Ammonium Nitrate and the arrest of people in London I did a bit of surfing to find out just how easy it is to 'build a bomb' and you know what -it's incredibly easy. Anyone who can 'bake a cake' and who has access to fertilizers -i.e. thousands of farmers- could throw something together that would create a Bali-like nightmare.

Sure TNT gives a bigger bang for the amount and so you can be extra sneaky on where you use it -i.e. it gives you far more usage options. But a nice big van with 10 gas cylinders packed full of fertiliser 'u' like driven at high speed up the Bangla road also makes a statement...

Just how do you stop it? Can you even stop it?

Nick.

[KhunJack]

What is the background about the violance in the south?

Can somebody explain or give me a link where I can read about it.

Thanks

[iwan]

Just how do you stop it? Can you even stop it?

Nick.

i propose these ways to stop them crazy people .....

1. Give them rights to their own nation with a piece of land say 3000 (3000 people x 1 rai each) next to the Malaysian border and make a wall so high they can't climb over, or

2. Send them off to Iraq on a 747, with one year's supply of peanuts

[A. BOOZER]

Salted or unsalted?

[Ronnok]

It is obvious that Thailand needs outside help in dealing with future threats from the same people. Trying is not good enough and I would be ashamed to be in officer in charge of this security. Responding to future attacks is not the answer. A more aggressive aproach must be taken simular to the war on drugs.

[KevinN]

They keep saying "majority BUDA" or "minority ISLAMIC" Why not get rid of the muslims and say "All Buda" Thailand, Then the problem would be over.

But Fearless Leader don't have a clue, but HRH The King should be able to figure it out. This man is costing a lot of lives among other things in Thailand, I came herre to Thailand because of the peaceful BUDA people, I have lived most of my life in Hot Spots and political unrest and am tired of it,so came here and it is happening here and I am to ###### old to fight another war.

[Dove]

It is obvious that Thailand needs outside help in dealing with future threats from the same people. Trying is not good enough and I would be ashamed to be in officer in charge of this security. Responding to future attacks is not the answer. A more aggressive aproach must be taken simular to the war on drugs.

This is Thailand's problem, let the Thais solve the problem. More than often outside forces tend to screw things up.

What is needed is an improvement in Intelligence services, looks like that is what is lacking and real Intelligences as in clever. The theft displays grave negligence by the authorities especially in times like this. Quarries should have better security esopecially when they are dealing with explosives.

[taxexile]

1. Give them rights to their own nation

they already have their own nation, it's called thailand. if they dont like it here then let them bugger off somewhere else. they dont need to make problems here.

[alanw]

To Khun Jack,

A very short and incomplete answer to your question. The history / background is long and complex, I don't claim to fully understand it, but here are a few observations:

1. Many of the muslim people in the South of Thailand want to be part of a muslim country, and many therefore want to part of Malaysia. Like any country Thailand is not about to give aay sovereign land - right or wrong reality is that a country does not give away land.

2. Many of the muslim people in the South feel that they are ignored and treated as second class citizens. My opinion is that are to some extend right.

3. Thailand claims (as per the written constitution) that it respects all religions. The reality is that non buddhists are sometimes disciminated against in Thailand, and particularly muslims. You can find any number of employers (buddhists) in Bangkok who won't employ muslems 'they are not buddhist, so it will cause problems', but of course they will never say this openly. You can find plenty of employers who organize various forms of buddhist ceremonies, as if everyone is automatically a buddhist.

4. A very very high percentage of the muslems in the South dearly love and highly respect the king (burramee).

Not complete but maybe helpful

Regards

[BlackJack]

the problems started when we left the trees and staked out land to farm

when the crops or rain failed we prayed to something up there in the sky

when something else failed we prayed for solutions

now we turned these gods into something they are not

religion and gods have caused more problems than any madman has or could

wake up people the god you think exists does not give 2 hoots about your petty petty beliefs or problems

muslim catholic hindu Budhist SAME SAME but different

as a matter of fact i know one of the gods personally and as a matter of fact he is the manager of Tops Silom Complex - see row 2B - he speaks to me from the TIM TAM dark chocolate packs

drop in and have a dump on him - 7 days a week 10 - 12

he said everything will be OK - Mai Pen Rai

[BlackJack]

i apologise for this outburst

he made me do it

plus the red wine , whiskey he made me drink

and the small pizza - i suppose he had somehing to do with it - becasue it arrived in a big box and it was so small inside - this got me mad as ###### and i am not going to take it any more

never again pizza Home delivery

[Arnold]

This is Thailand's problem, let the Thais solve the problem. More than often outside forces tend to screw things up.

What is needed is an improvement in Intelligence services, looks like that is what is lacking and real Intelligences as in clever.

Agree 100%. Let the brilliant Thais solve this one. Tourists should stay away until they do.

As always, trees don't grow in sand. One should wonder why these people are so militant -- worldwide. Reminds me of the blacks in the 60's. Same exact shit.

As for intelligence, didn't Thaskin solve that one already?

[Nam Kao]

I hope these bombs are not heading north to BKK

[cbatson]

Thailand is small enough that a single satellite could watch the entire country. Then it would be a simple matter to look at the "videotapes" and figure out where the truck of stolen explosives went.

On the other hand, I had a lot of problems here just with satellite-based internet...

Chuck

[Pepe']

Not to minimize the seriousness of these recent events. On a positive note you have a much better chance of being hit by lightening or killed in a automobile accident as opposed to some scumbag muslim terrorist action...

[Nam Kao]

Pepe, Denial is a soi nam in Egypt

Jusy one of those bombs could kill hundreds

[Pepe']

Nam Kao,

Sadly you are correct but the facts/odds are still the same.

Old Indian saying, "Who ever God wants to kill, no one can save. Whoever God wants to save no one can kill." Why live in fear.

Its all in the way the cards come out of the deck.

"Death is only the beginning" - The Mummy...

[mbkudu]

If everyone just got down to basics and worshipped George Carlin, eveything

and everyone would be cool.

[BlackJack]

a NUKE could be hung over Mecca - and a big sign saying - the next SOB terrorist that explodes any device will also detonate this one

[somboon]

Someone suggested better intelligence. Perhaps the kids at the local kindergarten might be drafted in to help.

You don't need intelligence to tell you that quarries mean blasting. Blasting means explosives. AND if the authorities didn't know the stuff was there they should have. There should be a register. If they haven't learnt any lessons from the blast at Sanpatong that killed 40 +/- people around five years ago they must be slow learners. AND then there was the magazine that blew up in Isaan not all that long ago. What is does point to is the fact that Thais are very slow learners doesn't it.

All this with our venerable PM saying "trust me, there are no terrorists in Thailand"

[NedKelly]

Inanswer to anearlier post asking for background info on the Souther problems this may help a bit........

Many years ago whenthe Brittish colonialists were pulling out of Malay Peninsula an agreement was brokered withThailand and Singapore inthe south in realtion to borders.

Le Quan Yu was offered Singapore and took it. In the North Thailand ceded around three or four states back to Malaya that were previously under Thai contriol. The ones left over were as they are now...Yala, Narrathiwat etc . Ever since there has been armed resistence in the south. In the jungle down near the border there is even a tunnel complex you can go and visit as it's now a tourist attraction. The 'communist insurgents' used them to hide from the Thai army.

Today the northern most state in Malaysia I forget the name......is under control of a democratically elected Islamic party and I think uses Islamic law. It is the only state in Malaysia under such control. So one might conclude that all this influence justy across the border has something to do with it.

To make things worse, there are amny students who go tolearn in the Middle East. Learn what.....Islam of course and schools in the south of Thailand teaching only Islam......nothing else.......this is a basic human rights problem as all students should get a basic education.....not just relgion. This is where the Thai goverment should be more organised and enforcing that allstudent s go to normal schools. You might say ...what about christian schools.......sure but at least they teach other subjects. If islamic schoold taught geography and maths as well, fine. But just Islam.....not good.

[Limbo]

To Khun Jack,

The southern provinces relate ethnically and culturally to the Malay countries Malaysia and Indonesia. The northern states of present Malaysia and the southern states of Thailand were vassal states of Siam.

It were the British who draw the present border. Siam was allowed to keep three of their vassal states, which they annexed. This is the area where the problems are.

Two years ago a very good Thai film was made, Talumpuk. It shows very well the arrogance, racism, ignorance and plain stupidity of the Thai officials more than thirty years ago, when thousands died on an island in this area that was hit by an enormeous flood.

Many people think that not much progress is made since then.

I am not sure, but it is very well possible that if I was born as a muslim boy in the south that I would not like the Thai officials very much either.

I think that the Thai politicians and their handymen mistrust the people of the south, otherwise they would not only appoint Thai as officials.

Maybe one could say, that the Thai government makes the same mistake in the south as the Dutch government made in Indonesia, the British in Malaysia, the French in Indochina and the American in the rest of the world: in a colonial system you can controle the economy but not the hearts and spirit of the people.

It was General Chavalit, the former Minister of Defence who once gave amnesty to the freedom-fighters in the south, thereby taking the wind out of the sails of the liberation-movement. Killings, beatings of people and permanent discrimination create a go-ground for resistance. I wish the government of Khun Taksin great wisdom in solving the problem.

[royar2002]

This is Thailand's problem, let the Thais solve the problem. More than often outside forces tend to screw things up.

What is needed is an improvement in Intelligence services, looks like that is what is lacking and real Intelligences as in clever.

This is Thailands problem, and keep Mr Bush and Blair or other peacekeeper far away from Thailand.

I am suprise that Mr. fix not allready svolve the problem in south. He used to fix every problem very fast. At least when I listen to his speach in the news. If the government can't handle the problem, change the government. The real problem is that one hand does not know what the other do, and between the long arms are the corruption.

[NedKelly]

66 bags @ 50 kg's a bag = 3,300 kgs........geessuussssss...what do they want to blow up with that ? What was the size of the bomb in Oklahoma ?

Oh I know.......they'll use it to make that stupid canal from the Andaman to the Gulf of Siam !! In one big explosion !

Question also......with all the obvious problems going on down there, why was there only two - old enough to be retired gents - guarding the site ??? Can see it now - before they bash the <deleted> out of the two old guards.....they take their teeth out first !!

[Boon Mee]

a NUKE could be hung over Mecca - and a big sign saying - the next SOB terrorist that explodes any device will also detonate this one

I like the way you think, Blackjack...