Thread: Southern Thailand-Three bomb blasts rock Sungai Kolok

Originally Posted by Mid

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

Best way to get a man to drop a knife is to poke him in the eye!

Originally Posted by WujouMao

Thought the Brits gave it to Thailand

If we did I don't remember beiing part of that decision ?

Apart from that if my anscetors did? it's time for a re-fund (to the Thai's) or some serious action!

p.s. Thaki sorted a few of em but Not enough...muzzie scum!

BR your lack of knowledge is showing .

Bangkok Post : After the bombs, An uneasy calm hangs over sungai kolok

After the bombs, An uneasy calm hangs over sungai kolok

• Published: 25/09/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

NARITHIWAT : All is rather quiet in Sungai Kolok district in this deep South province.

The effects of the two car bombs and one motorcycle bomb which exploded on Sept 16, killing three Malaysians and one Thai and wounding at least 110 others, can still be felt.

A fifth victim, also a Malaysian, was pronounced dead last week. A Thai reporter maimed in the blast yesterday succumbed to his injuries, taking the death toll to six.

''Things are usually quiet and peaceful, until a bomb goes off,'' said one police officer, stationed in the South for 25 years, describing the three troubled provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat.

Full details: Sixth bomb victim dies

Sungai Kolok is a border town with a population of about 40,000. Most are Yawi-speaking Muslims and ethnic Malays.

It's also a favourite red light destination known for its pubs, karaoke bars and prostitution aimed at Malaysian tourists, most of whom visit from neighbouring Kelantan state.

''After Friday prayers, the tourists come up from Kelantan to patronise the red light district,'' said a high-ranking government official.

Other spots they visit include Betong, Sadao, Tak Bai and Hat Yai.

''There are family tourists and there are red light tourists,'' said the official.

On Friday, the streets of Sungai Kolok remained subdued. The mood is down, and tourism has taken a hit.

The Merlin Hotel, one of the bomb targets, sits right across from a police station. It is still closed and blocked off by police barriers.

''Tourism has fallen by half since the blasts,'' said an officer at the border checkpoint, as he looked on at Malaysian registered vehicles making their way through the gate.

''Most are day-trippers, but we also have traders,'' he added.

Many hotel and business operators report a sharp drop in trade. Small guesthouses have been hit hard, though the Genting Hotel, one of the largest in the district, appears to be holding its own.

Most business operators, and people on the streets, are reluctant to speak to the press.

''People prefer to keep their heads down,'' said the police source.

''If somebody sees you talking, they'll ask questions.''

It is not all gloom, however. The annual boat race festival that takes place on the Sungai Kolok River is still on, with local participants and racers from Malaysia.

But at the entrance gate stands a metal detector, with armed troops standing guard.

Motorcycles are parked with their seats open, to make sure no one can hide bombs inside.

Police have identified Suhaidee Kubaru, of nearby Sungai Padi district, as a suspect in the blasts. Another suspect is Muhammadsakri Saising.

Police say Mr Suhaidee drove a car with a bomb planted inside to one of the three spots where the explosions occurred. Mr Muhammadsakri drove another car to secure the parking space for Mr Suhaidee's car.

The police source said Mr Suhaidee is a cell leader of the separatist RKK movement. Police stations across the three troubled provinces have their own war rooms, to keep tabs on separatist activity.

Commanders log on each morning for a video conference meeting, dominated by daily reports of shootings and bombings. ''There's a local election going on,'' said the police source. ''It's not easy to tell which are insurgent attacks, and which are political killings.''

Mugshots of militant suspects are attached to the walls of each war room.

An A4 sheet shows the organisation chart of a separatist cell, including the names and pictures of insurgent suspects, divided by the villages they control.

Pictures of Mr Suhaidee and Mr Muhanmadsakri are also on the wall, according to the police source.

There are two theories for what gave rise to the blasts.

Kelantan is a Malay state deeply rooted in Islamic tradition. It is a stronghold of the pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, which has the proclaimed goal of establishing an Islamic state.

''Some insurgent groups in Kelantan do not like to see Malaysians come up to Sungai Kolok,'' said the official.

These groups could be working with separatist cells in Thailand to punish ''sinners'' and scare them away from vice in the Thai border town.

The police source offered an alternative theory. ''We have launched crackdowns on drug trafficking in Sungai Kolok,'' he said. ''The bombing attack could be an act of retaliation against the authorities.''

When asked why an alleged RKK member, Mr Suhaidee, would work with drug traffickers, he replied, ''It's a hired job. RKK cells need financing. This is just one of the sources.''

From the bridge of the border control checkpoint, the Sungai Kolok River stretches below.

''This why it's so difficult to catch anyone,'' the police source said.

''During low tide, they can just walk over the river. During high tide, they can go over by boat, or tugboat, and disappear into Malaysia.''

The source said police have examined bullets from the scene of a recent attack. Police believe the same gun had been fired in nine separate attacks.

''Nine times and we still can't catch him, because the attacker is able to escape so easily,'' he said.

''Everyone can cross at any point of the river. Among them are smugglers, traffickers, terrorists and even ordinary people who just want to cross over without going through border control.''

As we spoke, a group of people climbed into a boat and rowed over from the Thai side to the Malaysian side. They were only a few hundred metres from the checkpoint bridge, but crossed under the noses of checkpoint officials anyway.

After Friday prayers are over, Sungai Kolok turns into a bustling red light town. So how long will it take this time?

''Give them a couple of weeks,'' said the police source. ''The tourists will be back.''

Reporter dies from burn injuries in far-south bombings
Monday 26 September 2011

Reporters Without Borders is saddened to learn that local reporter Phamon Phonphanit died on 24 September from the burns he sustained in a series of three bombings on 16 September in the far-south town Sungai Kolok, where bombings are frequent.

We offer our condolences to his family.

Phamon, who worked for Sue Samut Atyakam, a local newspaper, had been sent to cover the first two bomb explosions and was badly injured when the third bomb exploded.

He was taken to Yala central hospital, where he died eight days later.

The toll from the three bombs now stands at six dead and 110 injured.

en.rsf.org

Bangkok Post : Sungai Kolok people wait for PM

Sungai Kolok people wait for PM

• Published: 30/09/2011 at 03:32 PM
• Online news: Local News

People in the southernmost district of Sungai Kolok in Narathiwat are still waiting for a visit by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Sungai Kolok mayoress Suchada Phannara said on Friday.

A series of bomb blasts that hit Sungai Kolok on Sept 16 had severely affected the economy of the border district and the confidence of the local people. Sungai Kolok people have been waiting for Ms Yingluck to visit them and listen to their problems, said Mrs Suchada.

The big bomb attacks had destroyed confidence of the locals and foreign tourists, particularly those from Malaysia, in the state's security measures. There is a need to restore confidence as Sungai Kolok is a main economic town on the Thailand-Malaysia border, she added.

The mayoress hoped the prime minister would support the development plans of her town by allocating budget funds for development projects and for installing close-circuit television cameras in Sungai Kolok municipality to ensure the safety of the locals and foreign tourists.