Bomb attacks 'linked to peace talks'

[rooster59]

Bomb attacks 'linked to peace talks'

YALA: A SERIES of blasts in Yala over the past two days is an attempt by insurgents to boost their negotiating power ahead of the resumption of peace talks early next month, an intelligence source has said.

"They have been using violence to push forward their demands," the source said yesterday, adding that the ultimate goal of insurgents was to found an Islamic state of Pattani.

Unrest in the deep South has flared for more than a decade. Talks with insurgent groups to try to achieve peace were begun by the previous government.

Southern Border Provinces Police Operations Centre commissioner Pol Lt-General Chalermphon Ajaraboon said the group Ubahira RKK may be behind the recent bombings.

"This group is usually active in Krong Pinang and Bannang Sata districts [in Yala] and Bacho district [in Narathiwat]," he said.

The bombings were designed to discredit the government, according to Second Army Corps chief Lt-General Ruangsak Suwannaga, in his capacity as deputy head of the Forward Command of the Internal Security Operations Command in Region 4.

But he downplayed the severity of the attacks, explaining that they mostly targeted electricity transformers in outer zones and did not caused severe property damage.

"We have also brought the situation back to normal fast," he said.

He said the seven key economic zones in the region remained unaffected thanks to stringent measures in place.

Ruangsak said relevant agencies would revise measures used in outer zones in a bid to prevent such attacks occurring again.

On Thursday night, at least seven bombs rocked Yala. One brought down an electricity pole and blackouts were reported.

Yesterday morning, two more bombs went off in Yala and injured five policemen.

In the first incident, seven police were heading to the scene of a bomb explosion when their vehicle was targeted en route in Muang district via a bomb tied to a roadside tree that was detonated remotely.

The blast injured three officers, all of who were transported to Yala Hospital.

Another bomb went off in Tambon Ban Hae in Than To district, injuring a soldier and a ranger. They were also sent to Yala Hospital.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Bomb-attacks-linked-to-peace-talks-30271964.html

-- The Nation 2015-10-31

[Srikcir]

"the ultimate goal of insurgents was to found an Islamic state of Pattani."

More accurately it would be to restore the Islamic state as it existed prior to the forceful annexation of the Islamic South by the Kingdom of Thailand. Their immediate goal is for Thailand to allow co-existence of the muslim culture in education, government and commerce.

Meanwhile Prayut's idea of peace negotiations is unconditional ceasation of hostilities by ALL insurgent groups for an unspecified time period to be determined by the NCPO prior to any actual negotiations. The military repeatedly challenges the insurgents with inflexible positions that seem far removed from peace negotiations. The military recently rejected out of hand a demand that international observers and moderators be included in peace negotiations because it would lose control of its propoganda.

Is it then a surprise insurgents continue to resort to violence?

Edited October 31, 2015 by Srikcir

[The Deerhunter]

Just what SE Asia needs.... Another new or old/new Islamic state, complete with Sharia law and all the other attendant Islamic attachments. Hmmmm!!!!

[diehard60]

Yes of course it is. But what surprises me is they are not blaming the red shirts for this.