 Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has warned that violence in the country's south could get worse. Mr Thaksin said suspected Muslim separatists wanted to provoke the government into over-reacting. "I am convinced that the violence will be intensified... since the militants want to tempt the government to get angry," he said. | "Don't get me angry. You won't like me when I'm angry" |
More than 400 people have been killed so far this year, with security forces blamed for almost half of the deaths. Mr Thaksin was speaking after another member of the security forces - a Muslim serving in the Thai navy - was shot dead on Friday while he guarded a Buddhist temple in the southern province of Narathiwat. | I'd wager he was singled out just for that reason. |
Mr Thaksin, who has been strongly criticised for his handling of the violence in the south, said the militants wanted to use the latest attacks to generate attention overseas and win new recruits. "They want to stir our anger, prompt us to use brute force and spread the news. Then their sympathisers overseas will throw in their support," he said. | "Send mullahs, guns and money.." |
|