Issan schoolfires probably not political


School fires in the Northeast probably stem from local conflicts rather than national politics, according to Police Region 3 chief Staporn Laothong.

He said evidence pointed to conflict in the management of Ban Wang Palad school in tambon Thab Tan of Surin's Sangkha district, where teachers' living quarters were burnt on Friday.

Internal conflict between school personnel was also the likely cause of the fire at Ban Ta Leng school in Chamni district of Buri Ram province on Jan 10.

The Dec 16 fire at Sakatnakwittaya school in Nakhon Ratchasima's Soeng Sang district was also a local conflict, either between teenagers or politicians.

There have been 19 school fires in Pol Lt-Gen Staporn's area.

He said their causes seemed to be separate and some were due to local factors rather than being connected with any conflict with the present government.

Meanwhile, in Surin, the two-storey monks' residence at Wat Chai Mongkol temple in tambon Krathiem of Sangkha district caught fire yesterday.

Witnesses said a blackout caused monks to light candles.
The fire was probably caused by candles that monks forgot to put out, local police said.

Bangkok Post