Four killed in attacks in Thailand`s restive south
Suspected Muslim rebels in southern Thailand killed four people, including a nine-year-old boy, police said, adding the attacks have been in reprisal for the killing of some Muslim boys.
|Last Updated: Feb 13, 2014, 12:07 PM IST|Source: Reuters
Pattani: Suspected Muslim rebels in southern Thailand killed four people, including a nine-year-old boy, on Thursday, police said, adding the attacks have been in reprisal for the killing of some Muslim boys.
Thailand is a mainly Buddhist country, but the three southern provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat are majority-Muslim and resistance to central government rule has existed there for decades, resurfacing violently in 2004.
Four rebels riding two motorcycles opened fire on villagers giving alms to Buddhist monks in Mae Lan district of Pattani province, killing two women, a Buddhist monk and the boy, police said. Seven other people were injured.
"This was a revenge attack," Pattani chief of police Phot Suaysuwan told a news agency. "We believe there is a link between the killing of Buddhists this week and the murder of three Muslim boys last week."
Two Buddhist women were gunned down in two separate attacks in Pattani this week. Both were shot dead and set on fire.
Phot said the attacks were in revenge for the deaths of three Muslim brothers aged three, five and nine, who were gunned down in front of their home in neighbouring Narathiwat province.
The boy`s deaths had set off "a chain reaction", said Srisompob Jitpiromsri of the Deep South Watch think-tank.
"Emotions in the local community are running high, on both sides, and the insurgent movement has taken their deaths as an opportunity for revenge," he said.
"It will be difficult for the authorities to control the violence unless they can bring the boys` killers to justice."
More than 5,700 people have died as a result of the insurrection in the south since January 2004 and more than 40 have been killed since the start of this year.
The opening of peace talks with rebel groups last year has done nothing to end the violence. Talks between the state and representatives of major rebel group the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (the National Revolutionary Front, or BRN), now seem to have stalled.
A meeting set for December was postponed, officials said, as the authorities focused on protesters who had taken to the streets of the capital in a bid to overthrow the government.
The protests continue and a general election held on February 2 in a bid to end the crisis was disrupted, leaving Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at the head of a caretaker government with limited powers.
The three violence-plagued provinces in the south were once part of an independent Malay Muslim sultanate until annexed by predominantly Buddhist Thailand in 1909.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.