Three police officers injured in ambush in Narathiwat
The Nation

NARATHIWAT: -- A police pick-up truck was ambushed by a group of insurgents Wednesday morning, inuring a deputy station chief and two other officers.

The ambush happened on a village road in Ban Lamohnok village in Tambon Ruesoh Ok in Ruesoh distirct at 9 am.

Pol Lt Col Pongsakorn Khemrat, deputy chief of Ruesoh police station, was travelling in a pick-up truck with two subordinates when their truck was fired at by an unknown number of insurgents.

They were transporting a drug suspect to Narathiwat Mueang district.

They radioed for a reinforcement and exchanged gunfire with the insurgents for about 10 minutes before the insurgents retreated.

The three injured officers were rushed to the Yala provincial hospital.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Three-police-officers-injured-in-ambush-in-Narathi-30273687.html


-- The Nation 2015-11-25

Security......???...what does it actually mean here in Thailand?

What's new on the peace talks front?

Last word was that the umbrella insurgency organization MARA Patani wanted international observers in the peace talks process and the Junta flatly refused. The military was apparently concerned about losing control of information (having it internationalized) and so talks stalled. (The Nation 2015-10-19)

Then about one month later (2015-11-12) the secretary-general of the Southern Border Province Administration Center Phanu Uthairat declared that "the year 2016 will be considered a ''special'' one in which chronic problems in the southern border provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala will be settled and peace returned with the implementation of projects, operation plans and activities," including the Flagship Projects run by the SBPAC and military Front Command of the Internal Security Operations Command.

So while it is sad that violence continues, the insurgency really has no alternative. On the other hand the Thai military chooses a policy to force the insurgents to peace talks and not to have options that would entice Mara to further peace talks. The military must share in the responsibility for the continued violence.