Thread: Southern Thailand-Three bomb blasts rock Sungai Kolok

Originally Posted by Mid

Originally Posted by some ignoramus

The area, once called the Islamic Sultanate of Pattani, was conquered by Bangkok about 200 years ago

Thought the Brits gave it to Thailand

certainly NEVER been conquered by Bangkok ,

not 200 yrs ago nor any time since .

TAN_Network TAN News Network

Narathiwat police chief confirms last night's 3 car bombs in Sungai Kolok killed 3, injured 40; believes it's retaliation to drug crackdown

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

believes it's retaliation to drug crackdown

Yes Vagina

Defence Minister believes bomb attacks in Narathiwat are result of strict measures in drug crackdown

Defence Minister believes bomb attacks in Narathiwat are result of strict measures in drug crackdown

วันเสาร์ ที่ 17 ก.ย. 2554



BANGKOK, Sept 17 -- Defence Minister Gen Yuthasak Sasiprapa said he believed that the car and motorcycle bombs in Narathiwat's Su-ngai Kolok district on Friday were in retaliation by drug syndicates after the government had implemented strict measures to crack down illicit drugs.

Gen Yutthasak said an investigation was needed to identify the cause of the attacks, but it was most likely to be the result of the government's measures to fight against the drug problem.

He said security officials had to work hard and plan more preparations to prevent such attacks in the future.

A series of car and motorcycle bombs by presumed insurgents occurred at three locations on the same road in Su-ngai Kolok district.

For the first one, at 6.40pm, the insurgents planted a homemade bomb in a motorcycle and parked it at the front gate of a Teochew Association office on Charoen Khet Soi 3 in the provincial seat.

The second device, also motorcycle bomb, detonated at 6.55pm around 300 metres away from the initial explosion, as defense volunteers, rescue workers and authorities were investigating the first bomb. The motorcycle was parked at the intersection near the entrance to the local TOT office.

At 7.20pm, the third bomb went off in a car parked at the intersection opposite the Merlin Hotel. The 20-30 kg explosive device was triggered by radio signal, and the bomb caused damage to many shops, as windows at Merlin Hotel were also shattered.

Authorities said many bombs and suspected packages were found in various locations, but the bomb squad had succesfully defused them.

Public Health Minsiter Wittaya Buranasiri said on Saturday that there were three people killed in the attacks, 118 were wounded but 75 had received treatements at hospitals and were discharged.

Some 43 people were still in the hospitals, seven of which were seriously injured, as most suffered broken limbs and burns. One had lost his right eye from bomb shrapnel.

Meanwhile, police, soldiers and defence volunteers were deployed in Yala municipality to provide protection and safety to the public following the three car and motorcycle bomb attacks in Narathiwat's Su-ngai Kolok district.

Yala police chief Pol Maj Gen Chot Chawanwiwat instructed police in the province to be on high alert and stepped up security measures at government office buildings as they may be targets of attacks.

Security measures would also be heightened in public areas, while suspected vehicles would be closely monitored and searched to prevent any further attacks. (MCOT online news)

wot a beat up load of hog wash ,

still suppose it is better than admitting you have a major ongoing insurgency on your hands

Malaysians among four dead in Thai south blasts - Channel NewsAsia

Malaysians among four dead in Thai south blasts

Posted: 17 September 2011 1720 hrs



Getty Images 20 hours ago Thai bomb squad members inspect the wreckage of a car following a bomb attack by suspected separatist militants in Thailand's restive southern province of Narathiwat, on September 16, 2011. Multiple bombings killed at least three people and injured 50 in Thailand's insurgency-plagued deep south, police said, amid signs of escalating violence in the region. Around 4,800 people have been killed in near-daily attacks since shadowy rebels launched an uprising in early 2004, according to the latest figures from Deep South Watch, an independent research group that monitors the conflict.
http://www.daylife.com/photo/08oXbdj6Rs7NU


NARATHIWAT, Thailand: Malaysian tourists were among four killed and 110 wounded in multiple blasts in the insurgency-plagued Thai south, authorities said Saturday, amid concerns that foreigners were targeted.

Three Malaysians, including a three-year-old boy, and one Thai national died in explosions near two hotels and a Chinese-Thai cultural centre in a coordinated attack in Sungai Golok town, Narathiwat province on Friday night.

Police said militants may have deliberately aimed to hurt tourists in the triple bombing, one of the largest in recent months in the Muslim-majority deep south where a seven-year rebellion has left thousands dead.

"The insurgents intended to raise the violence to the level of international terrorism by targeting foreigners," said Phaithoon Choochaiya, commander of Southern Border Province police, during a visit to see the injured at the town hospital on Saturday morning.

Shadowy rebels regularly target security forces, government workers and Buddhist and Muslim civilians in attacks, but the violence rarely affects foreigners.

The director of Sungai Golok hospital said 19 Malaysian tourists were among the wounded in Friday's blasts. He said 40 people were still being treated for their injuries and the rest had been discharged.

Two devices -- outside the Parkson hotel and the Chinese centre -- were believed to have been planted on motorcycles. Another explosion outside the Merlin hotel and near a police station was thought to be from a car bomb.

Other police and army figures gave another explanation for the violence, saying drug dealers, who provide money for local militants, instigated the blasts in revenge for a recent narcotics crackdown.

"The blasts last night were definitely retaliation from drug dealers who fund the insurgents. Every time we focus on drugs, there is more violence," Sungai Golok police colonel Jakkarporn Tantong told AFP.

Lieutenant General Udomchai Thamsarorat, of the Fourth Army Area Command, concurred, saying illegal activity "is the cause of all the trouble" in the area.

Around 4,800 people have been killed in near-daily attacks since early 2004, according to Deep South Watch, an independent research group that monitors the conflict in three southern provinces near the Malaysian border.

The group has said it has seen a higher frequency of attacks with a greater intensity of violence in recent months.

On Thursday, five soldiers were killed after suspected insurgents opened fire on those wounded in a roadside bombing, police said.

-AFP

(Note, edited article, added larger photo from different source)

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

"The blasts last night were definitely retaliation from drug dealers who fund the insurgents. Every time we focus on drugs, there is more violence," Sungai Golok police colonel Jakkarporn Tantong told AFP.

incredible

Five killed in Sg Golok
SYED AZHAR
Sunday September 18, 2011

SUNGAI GOLOK (Southern Thailand): A three-year-old boy was among four Malaysians and a Thai national killed in multiple bomb blasts that also wounded at least 50 people in this popular border town.

The explosions on Friday night, along the crowded Ceroen Ket Road, occurred in intervals of about 15 minutes each and were said to be detonated via handphones.

This prompted authorities to jam mobile phone signals to prevent further blasts.

The Malaysians killed were identified as Wong Kai Sean, three, his grandfather Wong Hong Yep, 63, Chan Yew Soon, 63, all from Kota Baru, and Foong Foo Keah, 45, from Kuantan.

The other casualty was an unidentified Thai volunteer worker, said to be 38 years old.

The first blast that rocked the busy tourist street occurred near a hotel along the 500m stretch at about 7.30pm.

A second bomb exploded near a Thai-Chinese cultural centre while the third blast happened in the midst of a packed crowd who were drawn to the town's shopping outlets, night joints and notorious bars.

The explosions were so powerful that they caused a blackout. Power was eventually restored at 10pm.

Sungai Golok deputy mayor Rusdi Che Omar said scores of people, including 19 Malaysians, were injured in the blasts.

Little Kai Sean was killed on the spot while his grandfather died while being rushed to the Yala Hospital.

The boy's parents, Wong Wai Siong, 33, and Ang Ra Yat, 35, were shopping with another child when the explosions occurred.

Foong succumbed to injuries while being taken to the Sungai Golok district hospital, Rusdi told reporters here.

He said the authorities believed the blasts could be the work of drug lords or insurgents.

“What we know is that the blasts were detonated via remote control and police are investigating the case thoroughly,” he added.

A check by The Star showed the road has been closed to the public while work to repair the damage has begun.

thestar.com.my

Bangkok Post : Confusion over bombing motive

Confusion over bombing motive

SECURITY FORCES GIVE CONFLICTING REASONS FOR TRIPLE BLASTS

• Published: 18/09/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

Police and the military appear in disarray as they attempt to make sense of the triple explosions in Narathiwat's Sungai Kolok district on Friday which killed four people and injured 110.

While a military leader said Saturday the coordinated blasts were an act of retaliation against the government's crackdown on drugs and oil smuggling, a police chief said local insurgents appeared to be stepping up their attacks, to target tourists.

Three Malaysians, including a three-year-old boy, and one Thai national died in the blasts near two hotels and a Chinese-Thai cultural centre.

The explosions took place in Soi 3 of Charoen Khet Road, which is an entertainment strip visited by Malaysian tourists.

The bombs were planted about 30-50m metres from one another and detonated 10 minutes apart.

The third bomb was the largest and is thought to have taken all four lives. It weighed about 40-50kg and was placed in the back of a pickup truck parked in front of a restaurant. The explosion also knocked out power and telephone lines.

The director of Sungai Kolok hospital said 19 Malaysian tourists were among the wounded. He said 40 people were still being treated for their injuries and the rest had been discharged.

Police said militants may have aimed to hurt tourists in the triple bombing, one of the largest in recent months in the Muslim-majority deep South.

"The insurgents intended to raise the violence to the level of international terrorism by targeting foreigners," said Phaithoon Choochaiya, commander of the Southern Border Province police, during a visit to the injured at the town hospital yesterday.

Malaysia's foreign ministry said it would work with Thai authorities to get to the bottom of the bombing. It said insurgent violence in the South had escalated.

A senior military figure, meanwhile, insisted drug dealers, who provide money for local militants, instigated the blasts in revenge for a recent drugs crackdown.

Maj Gen Akara Tiproj, deputy director of Internal Security Operations Command Region 4, said the attacks were related to a drug operation in Sungai Kolok district early last week.

"We believe the attacks are an act of retaliation against a raid on the house of an alleged major drug network member in Sungai Kolok last Tuesday," said Maj Gen Akara.

On Sept 13, a joint task force of 300 security officers searched the house of Sami-ung Pao-adeh, 45, a member of the Narathiwat provincial administrative organisation, on suspicion he is involved in a drug trafficking ring.

Authorities confiscated five guns, ammunition, Malaysian currency and Thai cash, and list of alleged drug trafficking network members. They found no drugs in the house.

Maj Gen Akara said security authorities have found evidence, including video clips, indicating connections between the drugs racket and the insurgency movement.

Narathiwat governor Thanon Vejjakornkanont admitted the blasts could have been triggered by the crackdown on illegal activities.

He said the attacks are used to draw authorities away from their operations. "We can't allow them to use violence to pressure or distract authorities," he said.

Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Adul Saengsingkeow, in charge of stamping out insurgent violence in the deep South, said a core member of the insurgent group in Narathiwat has become involved in a drug trafficking ring.

"The group's economic team controls the money and gives orders to operating teams.

"And it appears every time we make a major drug bust, the violence escalates," he said.

Defence Minister Gen Yutthasak Sasiprapa said the blasts were the result of the government's measures to fight drugs.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday called a meeting with Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit and Army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha following the attacks.

She said authorities would figure out the cause of violence and refrain from responding to the situation in kind.

Police believe the assailants worked in four groups _ three being responsible for planting the bombs, and the other for detonating the device.

They say a fourth bomb was found and destroyed before it was detonated.

The four dead victims were identified as Thai national Seksan Rojpanasiri, 38, and three Malaysians _ Wong Hong Yep, 64, Chan Yew Son, 50 and Wong Kai Sean, 3.

Five of the injured are security officers _Capt Theerapong Suwannawetch, Sgt Jetsada Piew-on, Cpl Wuttichai Muangloy, Pvt Sataporn Rodya and Pol L/Cpl Surat Wangkhahad.

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Police and the military appear in disarray as they attempt to make sense of the triple explosions in Narathiwat's Sungai Kolok district on Friday which killed four people and injured 110.

Where ya been Cpt'n ?

A Thai soldier stands guard next to the wreckage of motorcycles and bicycles at the site where a bombing took place in Sungai Kolok, Narathiwat province, southern Thailand, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011. Thai authorities alleged Saturday that drug dealers had a hand in deadly coordinated bombings in the country's south. (AP Photo/Sumeth Panpetch)

Read more: Photos - The Daily Edit 09.18.11 - CharlotteObserver.com

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Acting police chief Priewpan visits Sungai Kolok, Narathiwat to update on car bombs investigation; says drugs crackdown spurred attacks

Police to ask Court for arrest warrants

Police to ask Court for arrest warrants

วันอาทิตย์ ที่ 18 ก.ย. 2554

Police to ask Court for arrest warrants against two suspects in drug-related Narathiwat bomb attacks; to adjust security measures

‘Don’t travel to Southern Thailand’ | Free Malaysia Today

‘Don’t travel to Southern Thailand’

September 18, 2011

Foreign Ministry advises Malaysians to postpone non-essential travel to Southern Thailand.


KUALA LUMPUR: The Foreign Ministry today issued a statement advising Malaysians to postpone non-essential travel to southern Thailand due to bombing incidents yesterday which killed four Malaysians and injured 18 others.

Malaysians are advised to postpone non-essential travel to the area until the security situation normalises.

“The ministry continues to monitor the developments there through its embassy in Bangkok and the Consulate in Songkhla which are liasing with the Thai authorities to provide necessary assistance to all Malaysians involved in the incidents,” the statement said.

In the statement issued here, the ministry also said that the Consulate General of Malaysia in Songhkhla reported that four Malaysians were killed in the bombing incidents in Sungai Golok, south Thailand on Friday.

The media today reported that four Malaysians including a three-year boy were killed in three bombing incidents in Sungai Golok, south Thailand on Friday night.

The dead Malaysians were identified as Wong Hong Yep, 63, Wong Kai Sean, 3, Fong Too Keh, 45, and Chan Yau Wing, 52. Their bodies were brought back to Malaysia by their respective families yesterday.

The statement added that out of the 18 Malaysians injured in the incidents, five were still being treated at the Sungai Golok Hospital, and one at the Yala Hospital, while the others had been discharged after receiving outpatient treatment.

The Malaysians who are still being treated at Sungai Golok Hopsital are Ling Yee Lung, 28, Lai Yok Long, 52, Phoo King Kuang, 54, Wee It Cheng, 61, Cheng Yew Mang, 40, while Ng Sai Kai, 63, is receiving treatment at the Yala Hospital.

- Bernama

-----
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stori...tdxfoM.twitter

Malaysia warns against travel to southern Thailand

Posted: 18 September 2011 1714 hrs


Thai soldiers inspect the wreckage of a car following a bomb attack by suspected separatist militants in Thailand's restive southern province of Narathiwat (AFP PHOTO/MADAREE TOHLALA)

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia warned against non-essential travel to southern Thailand on Sunday, after four of its nationals were killed in bomb attacks in the insurgency-plagued region.

Thai police have said militants may have deliberately targeted tourists in bombings near two hotels and a Chinese-Thai cultural centre in a coordinated attack in Narathiwat province on Friday night.

Malaysia's foreign ministry issued a statement on Sunday advising travellers to avoid southern Thailand until the security situation improves.

Those killed in the attacks included a three-year-old boy, the ministry said. The bodies have been returned to Malaysia.

A seven-year rebellion in Thailand's Muslim-majority south has left thousands dead.

Around 4,800 people have been killed in near-daily attacks since early 2004, according to Deep South Watch, an independent research group that monitors the conflict in three southern provinces near the Malaysian border.

- AFP/fa

Bangkok Post : Drugs link firms in bomb case

Drugs link firms in bomb case

RKK separatists blamed for Narathiwat blasts

• Published: 19/09/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

A separatist network linked to a major drug syndicate was behind Friday's triple explosions in Narathiwat's Sungai Kolok, says acting national police chief Priewpan Damapong
Police were preparing to issue arrest warrants for two suspects thought to be involved in the blasts, said Pol Gen Priewpan.

The pair were members of the Runda Kumpulan Kecil (RKK) separatist movement, with links to a major drug trafficking network in the district.

He was speaking during a trip to Sungai Kolok yesterday to inspect the blast sites.

Accompanying him were deputy national police chief Adul Saengsingkeow and deputy permanent secretary for justice Pol Col Thawee Sodsong.

Narathiwat police chief Pol Maj Gen Chaithat Inthanujit reported progress in the investigation to Pol Gen Priewpan. Video footage from closed circuit cameras near the three attack sites captured images of two of eight bombers.

The two men were identified as members of the RKK separatist group who are active in Sungai Padi district.

Plainclothes police are monitoring their movements.

Pol Gen Priewpan has asked police, soldiers and officials to boost security and clearly divide their zones of responsibility.

A victim of the blasts has succumbed to his injuries, taking the death toll to five. Chan Daweng, 53, a Malaysian national, was pronounced dead on Saturday night at Yala Hospital.

A Thai national and three Malaysian tourists were earlier killed in the blasts, which caused scores of injuries.

Malaysia's Foreign Ministry advised its citizens to stay away from Thailand's deep south until the situation improves.

A military source said the three coordinated blasts in the business and entertainment area of Sungai Kolok may be taken up for discussion among Muslim leaders who visit Saudi Arabia's Mecca to perform this year's haj.

The blasts may draw the attention of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, which is likely to inquire whether the attacks were caused by Muslim rebels wanting to fight for autonomy.

Over the past seven years, the southern unrest has claimed around 5,000 lives, mainly security workers.

During the past three to four years, people involved in unlawful activities such as drug trafficking, oil and contraband smuggling rackets had been involved in the attacks, said the source.

Pol Gen Adul, in charge of stamping out insurgent violence in the far South, and Fourth Army Region commander Lt Gen Udomchai Thammasarorat, said security officers found evidence showing that oil smugglers were funding the insurgency and attacks in the region.

They had made connections between drug trafficking networks and the insurgency movement, Pol Gen Adul said.

A crackdown on illicit drugs had triggered violence in the deep South, including Friday's bomb blasts in Sungai Kolok district.

Drug suppression teams searched 12 suspected locations in Sungai Kolok on Tuesday and Wednesday.

They arrested three drug suspects at a house in the district.

A total of 14,072 methamphetamine pills, heroin and 100,000 baht cash were seized.

While another team was searching another house, assailants shot at the team before fleeing.

Officers found heroin, equipment used for taking drugs and weapons inside the house.

Photos of insurgent members, including Samarn Arwae, were found in the house of the three drug suspects.

The three allegedly confessed they were members of a drug trafficking gang. They also implicated Mr Samarn in the drug network, said the security source.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/o...-is-not-enough

EDITORIAL

The same is not enough

• Published: 19/09/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

Escalating atrocities by southern gangs have once again shocked the country, and dragged foreign guests into the violence. Last Friday night's gruesome triple bombing in Sungai Kolok showed again that the southern groups seem determined to use any type of terrorist acts. The bombs they set off in the border town killed three Malaysian tourists including a three-year-old child, and an innocent Thai bystander. They injured 110 people, 19 of them Malaysian tourists. The bombings were cowardly, designed to cause maximum casualties and shock.



These attacks require the close and serious attention of top security officials including the new prime minister. They must demand to know, and they must inform the country how such attacks occurred. One of the most shocking facts about Friday's bloody violence was that police and military commanders in the deep South were shocked. As this newspaper detailed yesterday, authorities in the region were confused, uncertain and at odds with each other over the Narathiwat province bombings. It is disappointing, and should be unacceptable to the government, that more than six years after the southern gangs began targetting foreign tourists, no progress has been made on who is behind the attacks and why tourists are targets.

As the flames from the Sungai Kolok fires died down and doctors fought to save the wounded, officials talked as if the attacks on the tourist town were something new. No mention was made of the April 2005 coordinated bomb attacks which killed two people and wounded 60 at the Hat Yai airport and top tourist shopping destinations in Hat Yai district and Songkhla town.

Then, just two days before the Sept 2006 coup against then-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the terrorists set off six coordinated motorcycle bombs along the tourist streets in Hat Yai.

They killed a Malaysian tourist, a Canadian resident and two Thais. The carnage was so bad that the Hat Yai hospitals had to send ambulances for blood, and appeal for local donors.

It is not encouraging that after years of attacks by using motorcycle and car bombs that officials remain virtually helpless _ either to prevent them or to catch the perpetrators. But it is indefensible that the commanders of southern security forces cannot even figure out what is happening.

There is a lot on her plate, but this is a place where Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra can show her leadership. Three items stand out.

The first is the Pheu Thai Party's pledge to move forward on expanding the responsibility of the deep southern provinces to govern themselves.

The second is Ms Yingluck's determination to organise and coordinate the anti-drugs campaign; she chaired a meeting last week to try to convince six ministries to work together.

The third was the pledge she won last week from Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to provide help in stopping the violence in the deep South.

Whether last Friday's explosions were part of the undoubted drug wars in the deep South remains to be seen. But drugs, gun-running and human trafficking contribute to the violence _ that is the view of most southerners.

Indonesian help and gaining some self-government from Bangkok will also help to gain the respect of southerners. Ms Yingluck could easily move ahead on all three of these fronts, while demanding that security forces also show signs of improvement.

Young terrors

Young terrors



By Alang Bendahara
New Straits Times
Monday, Sep 19, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR - The triple bomb blasts in Sungai Golok, which killed four Malaysians, were believed to be part of a series of attacks carried out by a group of young separatists.

The Golok blasts came hours after the Thai news agency MCOT reported that a Muslim police officer and a defence volunteer were shot dead in a mosque during Friday prayers in Tambon Budi, Yala.

Another Thai media outlet reported that five soldiers were killed and another seriously injured on Thursday in an ambush in Pattani province.

The latest surge in violence has also sparked other theories, specifically on the identity of the perpetrators and their motives.

A Malaysian intelligence source did not rule out the possibility that Malaysian tourists were targeted as a strategy to pile pressure on the new Thai government.

The bombs were planted in "entertainment areas" known to be frequented by Malaysian tourists, he pointed out.

It could also be the work of a splinter group, made up of insurgents in their 20s and younger, said another source.

"These youngsters are bolder and more active than their predecessor s." He said suggestions by the Thai authorities that it was the work of drug dealers were equally plausible.

"The new Muslim youth insurgents are known to use and trade in drugs.

Thus, it could be the work of Muslim insurgents upset with the raids on their business."

The new group is said to be independent of other known insurgent groups, such as Patani United Liberation Organisation (Pulo) and its offshoots, Pulo Baru, Barisan Nasional Pembebasan Patani (National Liberation Front of Patani), Gerakan Mujahideen Islam Patani and Jemaah Islamiyah.

Unlike the predominantly Muslim provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani, the other southernmost provinces of Songkhla and Satun have not experienced much violence.

Songkhla is a Buddhist-majority region while Satun is not part of the old Patani sultanate.

The combined population of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala provinces is about 1.8 million, with about 80 per cent of them Muslims.

National Security Council secretary Datuk Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab said the incident must be investigated thoroughly.

"Any act of violence like the incident in Sungai Golok must be condemned, as innocent civilians have become the victims. It is most unfortunate that the victims included Malaysian citizens.

"We hope the Thai authorities will thoroughly investigate the incident and bring to book the criminals," he said in a text message to the New Straits Times yesterday.

He also advised Malaysians to exercise extreme caution when crossing into Thailand.

MCOT_Eng MCOT English News

Arrest warrants out against 2 suspects in multiple blasts in Narathiwat which killed 5 including 3 Malaysians: Deputy police chief Adul

Police detain one suspect in Narathiwat bombings; will seek more arrest warrants

Police detain one suspect in Narathiwat bombings; will seek more arrest warrants

วันพฤหัสบดี ที่ 22 ก.ย. 2554



NARATHIWAT, Sept 22 – Thai police have detained one suspect in last week’s Narathiwat’s bombings, and are seeking arrest warrants for three additional suspects.

Surveillance cameras in Sungai Kolok municipality recorded images of a motorcycle with an implanted bomb in front of a shop, the first explosion site.

At the site of the third explosion, about 400 metres from the first location, surveillance cameras recorded images of men suspected to be the bombers as attack team. Their faces can be clearly identified and police will use the evidence to seek arrest warrants for three more men.

The Narathiwat bombings killed five persons, including three Malaysian tourists, and wounded more than a hundred people.

A series of car and motorcycle bombings occurred Saturday at three locations on the same road in Su-ngai Kolok district.

Acting national police chief Pol Gen Priewpan Damapong earlier said it is clear that the culprits are linked with drug syndicates.

All concerned agencies are planning strict prevention and suppression of the movement after a situation assessment found that drugs would be spread widely, especially in border areas. (MCOT online news)

I often wonder why these attacks are confined to the south, an area that the Bangkok administration and Thais in general care little about.

One tenth of their efforts in the south directed at Bangkok or, god forbid, Phuket/Pattaya etc would have an exponentially greater effect on the government.

If the IRA had stuck to bombing pubs in NI and ignored UK mainland targets I doubt we'd have seen the Good Friday agreement.

Thailand: Southern Insurgents Bomb Nightspots | Prachatai English

Thailand: Southern Insurgents Bomb Nightspots

Thu, 22/09/2011 - 13:18 | by prachatai Human Rights Watch

5 Civilians Killed, 118 Wounded in Latest Attack

(New York, September 21, 2011) – Alleged insurgents were responsible for detonating three bombs at a nighttime entertainment area in Thailand’s southern Narathiwat province that killed five civilians and wounded 118, Human Rights Watch said today. Violence in southern Thailand has claimed the lives of more than 4,700 people in the past seven years.

The September 16, 2011 bombings, in Narathiwat’s Sungai Kolok district, utilized methods typically employed by ethnic Malay Muslim insurgent groups in southern Thailand who seek a separate Muslim state, Human Rights Watch said. Three bombs exploded at 15- to 30-minute intervals, and police defused a fourth. The later bombs may have been planted and timed to target security and medical personnel rushing to the scene of the first attack, Human Rights Watch said.

“Insurgents who bomb nightspots know they will kill and maim numerous civilians,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “This is not armed struggle but a sickening crime.”

The first bomb, concealed in a motorcycle left outside an ethnic Chinese association, exploded at about 6:40 p.m. A second motorcycle bomb exploded approximately 15 minutes later, 300 meters away, in front of a karaoke bar. A third bomb exploded in a car approximately 20 to 30 minutes later opposite the nearby Merlin Hotel. Police found and defused a fourth bomb hidden in a motorcycle in the area.

Thailand’s southern border provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat have been the scene of brutal armed conflict over the past seven years. Since January 2004, ethnic Malay Muslim separatist groups have carried out thousands of attacks on police and other civilians. Most of the victims have been ethnic Thai Buddhists, but may have been ethnic Malay Muslims perceived to be “collaborating” with the government. According to police statistics, civilians make up more than 90 percent of the 4,700-plus deaths since 2004.

As detailed in Human Rights Watch’s 2007 report “No One Is Safe”, insurgent groups have used violence to try to drive ethnic Thai Buddhist populations out of predominantly Malay areas, while keeping ethnic Malay Muslims under control and discrediting Thai authorities. The Patani Freedom Fighters (Pejuang Kemerdekaan Patani), separatist insurgents in the loose network of National Revolution Front-Coordinate (BRN-Coordinate), have suffered setbacks from security sweeps but still maintain a presence in hundreds of ethnic Malay Muslim villages in southern Thailand. The group continues to cite abuses and heavy-handed tactics by government forces to justify their attacks. Some insurgent cells have merged with underground cartels involved in drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and human trafficking across the Thai-Malaysian border, adding to the thriving criminality in the southern border provinces.

Amidst the surge of violence against civilians, separatist insurgents appear to have stepped up attacks on teachers in government-run schools, whom they see as symbols of a state effort to undermine ethnic Malay Muslim identities. On September 6, a teacher named Kanit Lamnui was shot dead as he was returning home from an English language tutorial at Ban Kor Meng School in Yala province’s Raman district. The assailants then poured gasoline on his body and set it on fire. In August, two teachers were shot dead in Pattani province, and another was seriously wounded in three separate attacks, which appear to have been carried out by separatist insurgents. More than 150 teachers and educational officials have been killed in insurgency-related violence in the past seven years.

Human Rights Watch has repeatedly condemned abuses by insurgents in southern Thailand.

Insurgent groups have at times claimed that attacking Thai Buddhist civilians is justified, contending that the violence in southern Thailand amounts to an armed conflict in which the Thai Buddhist population is subject to attack. This position is not supported by international law. Under applicable laws of war, civilians may not be targeted nor labeled combatants en masse, and can only be attacked in limited circumstances in which they are directly participating in hostilities.

Human Rights Watch said it was also concerned about violations by government forces combating insurgent violence. Thailand’s new prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, recently announced that special attention would be given to improving the situation in the southern border provinces. On September 13, the government announced that the existing state of emergency in the southern provinces would be extended a further three months. As detailed in an August letter, Human Rights Watch urged the Thai government to take all appropriate steps to ensure public safety with full respect for human rights standards and due process of law.

“Prime Minister Yingluck’s special attention to the south needs to do more than extend a state of emergency that encouraged government abuses,” said Adams. “Unless real action is taken to rein in the security forces and punish perpetrators, the abuses will continue.”

Human Rights Watch repeated its call for investigations into abuses by the Thai security forces and pro-government militias, who in the past have committed reprisals against ethnic Malay Muslims following insurgent attacks.

“Insurgents falsely claim that abuses by Thai security forces justify their attacks on civilians – the Thai government should not allow its forces to adopt the same logic,” Adams said. “Government attempts to protect abusive security personnel will only intensify the cycle of reprisals.”

Source:
Thailand: Southern Insurgents Bomb Nightspots | Human Rights Watch

Originally Posted by Lostandfound

I often wonder why these attacks are confined to the south

it's the area the separatists are interested in , the former Sultanate of Patani