| Submit your comments on this article |
| Southeast Asia |
| Thai ministers says international terrorists behind recent violence |
| 2004-01-14 |
| Thailand’s defense minister said Wednesday international terrorists inspired Thai Muslim insurgents to stage recent violent attacks in the country’s south in a bid to raise their profile and win respect from other militants. Thammarak Isarangura na Ayuthaya said about 50 former soldiers suspected of involvement in the attacks had been flown to Bangkok for interrogation and repeated earlier assertions that a terrorist militia had been training in the region for months. "The separatist ideology had died down for years, but it reemerged recently after international terrorist groups intensified their operations," Thammarak told The Associated Press, without elaborating. Thailand’s predominantly Muslim provinces of Satun, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat were once the stronghold of a separatist movement known as the Pattani United Liberation Organization. At its peak, the PULO commanded more than 20,000 armed guerrillas, but the group dispersed after a government amnesty in the early 1980s. Unidentified groups that have mounted isolated attacks against police outposts and government-run schools in recent years, earlier dismissed as bandits, have revived the separatist mission, the minister said. "This is the first time (in recent years) that several bandit groups have joined hands and instilled the separatist ideology into the minds of young people," Thammarak said. "They recruited young people and carried out militia training in the jungles. The trainers always wore black uniforms and covered their faces." The minister said earlier that the recruits were young people studying at Muslim religious schools but did not specify where or by whom they were trained. Thai officials fear local militants are being aided by outside terror groups linked to Al-Qaida. Thammarak declined to say how many young Muslims had been recruited, but said the rebel groups had no hope of establishing an independent Muslim state in southern Thailand despite having mobilized support among local people after a spate of recent attacks. The latest wave of violence came on January 4, when the suspected insurgents raided an army camp in Narathiwat province, killing four soldiers and stealing more than 100 assault rifles from the camp’s armory. Simultaneously, 21 government-run schools were set on fire. A string of bombings and attempted bombings followed, killing two police officers. "Now we have to reinstate the power of the state there (in southern Thailand), so the army can operate against these people," Thammarak said. "We have to stop them from growing up as militants, otherwise the movement will grow." The army has rounded up dozens of discharged soldiers since the January 4 attacks, he said, and brought them to an undisclosed location in Bangkok for interrogation. "About 50 of them have been flown from here by military plane for interrogation," said Thammarak, who spoke by telephone from Pattani. On Tuesday, Thai and Malaysian military forces began joint land and air patrols along their jungle border for the first time since the 1970s and the Thais announced they had stepped up security at airports across the country. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #1 The latest wave of violence came on January 4, when the suspected insurgents raided an army camp in Narathiwat province, killing four soldiers and stealing more than 100 assault rifles from the camp’s armory. Simultaneously, 21 government-run schools were set on fire. A string of bombings and attempted bombings followed, killing two police officers. See how we take the high ground. Die copper! |
| Posted by: Lucky 2004-1-14 12:48:48 AM |