Thai soldiers searching for suspected Muslim militants with links to terrorism have raided Islamic schools in the three provinces bordering Malaysia. The Thai Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, who initially blamed "bandits and gun-runners" for an outbreak of violence in the provinces earlier this month, now suspects that some of the 300 islamic schools, or "madrassahs", may be fronts for militant activities.
| Gee. Golly. Y'think? Has that ever happened before? |
The Thai army has deployed helicopter gunships, armoured personnel carriers, special forces and hundreds of troops in their hunt for suspected militants. Government officials were ordered by Mr Shinawatra to find the stolen weapons within a week or lose their jobs. Dozens of suspects have been held for questioning and local media reports say at least six arrests were made. Security at Thailand’s border with Malaysia has been tightened. Thailand’s Justice Minister, Pongthep Thepkanjana, requested that Thai students studying at Indonesian religious schools be closely monitored. Thai authorities are keen to reassure tourists visiting the country that they are not at risk from terrorists. Mr Shinawatra promised to ease unrest by encouraging economic development in the three Muslim provinces. The region is 200 miles from the nearest tourist island, Phuket. Some security advisers suggest that the recent spate of violence in southern Thailand may be inspired by radical Islamic groups operating beyond the country’s borders. General Kitti Rattanachaya, the government’s security adviser, criticised the Thai authorities for being "in denial" about the severity of the Muslim threat. |