[Tlc] T-Southern Thai violence

[justinm at ucr.edu]

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justin

Violence in Deep South - Thailand

Twelve die in mosque shooting Malaysia offers helping hand in restive South

    By: BANGKOK POST AND AGENCIES
    Published: 9/06/2009 at 12:00 AM
    Newspaper section: News

NARATHIWAT : At least 12 Muslim villagers have been killed and 11
seriously injured when a group of unidentified gunmen opened fire in a
mosque in Cho Airong district.

The shooting took place about 8.30pm on Monday, when about 100
worshippers were performing evening prayers inside the mosque at Ai
Payae village.

Those not killed ran screaming with fright and pain from the mosque.

Witnesses said a group of five to six gunmen broke into the prayer
hall from undergrowth behind the mosque and began firing
indiscriminately.

Ten of the worshippers died instantly and two more in hospital. Eleven
others were seriously injured. The gunmen fled the scene after the
shooting.

Authorities last night blocked all roads in the area to search for the
attackers, who are believed to be hiding in a nearby forest.

Prinya Chaidilok, spokesman for the Internal Security Operations
Command's frontline office of the 4th Army, denied authorities were
involved in the shooting. He was trying to put a stop to rumours that
security forces had tried to provoke the situation in the far South
for their own benefit.

He said it was premature to come to any conclusion on who launched the
attack. But the attackers knew the area very well.

The attack came on the eve of another visit to the far South by army
chief Anupong Paojinda.

The shooting came hours after Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva wrapped
up a one-day visit to Malaysia with the insurgency high on the agenda.

Malaysia has pledged to help young Muslims in Thailand secure a better
education and employment to ease violence sparked by the Islamic
separatist movement.

Leaders of the two countries yesterday discussed ways to bring
economic progress to southern Thailand, including Malaysia's role of
providing scholarships for Muslim students and helping to develop the
education system in provinces bordering northern Malaysia.

"In terms of creating opportunities particularly for young people in
the area, I think that Malaysia has very important contributions," Mr
Abhisit told reporters after a meeting with his Malaysian counterpart,
Najib Razak, in the administrative capital of Putrajaya.

Mr Najib said he and Mr Abhisit plan to visit a religious school in
southern Thailand in order for both leaders to talk to the people "so
that the right kind of message can be transmitted" to the South. No
date was immediately scheduled for the visit.

"We remain optimistic that things can get a lot better if we continue
to put an emphasis on economic development, on giving them a better
future," Mr Najib said.

Mr Abhisit said he was also optimistic about seeing an end to violence
in his country's troubled southern region, and pledged to bring
"justice and opportunities" to the land.

"Let me reiterate that my government's approach is based on the belief
that the key to peace and security is justice and opportunities," he
said.

Mr Abhisit said his government was shifting emphasis in the troubled
southern region to economic development.

In addition to the mosque shooting, there were other incidents of
southern violence yesterday.

Rubber tapper Chuay Nadi, 36, was shot dead in an attack in the
pre-dawn hours in Narathiwat's Rangae district on his way to a rubber
plantation.

Police later came across a 5kg homemade bomb near the crime scene,
which was believed to be targeted at authorities as they carried out
their investigation. A bomb disposal team was called in to defuse the
device.

A security escort team for teachers escaped unharmed in a roadside
bomb explosion on the Yala-Betong Road in Krong Pinang district,
police said.



______________
Dr. Justin McDaniel
Dept. of Religious Studies
3046 INTN
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
951-827-4530
justinm at ucr.edu