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| Southeast Asia |
| Curfew imposed after minibus attack in Thai south |
| 2007-03-15 |
| BANGKOK (March 15, 2007): Thailand imposed a curfew on an area of the rebellious Muslim south on Thursday where suspected insurgents killed eight Buddhists in an unusual attack on a civilian minibus. People in two districts of Yala, one of the three southernmost provinces hit by the three-year separatist insurgency in which more than 2,000 people have been killed, will be confined to their homes from 8 p.m to 4 a.m. (1300-2100 GMT). "The Fourth Army therefore exercises its power under martial law to impose curfew in the districts of Yaha and Bannangsta of Yala provinces from now," southern army commander Lieutenant-General Viroach Buacharoon said. In a televised news conference from revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej's southern palace, Viroach also said civilians wearing outfits similar to those of soldiers or police faced up to 10 years in jail and banned the use of two-way radios. Everyone in the three provinces would have to report overnight guests, he said without saying what the penalties would be for breaking the curfew or not reporting guests. "We need to contain some freedom of the innocent people to prevent trouble makers from taking advantage," Viroach said. The imposition of the new security measures came after eight Buddhists and two Muslims were killed in Yaha on Wednesday. Gunmen in green uniforms shot dead eight Buddhist passengers, most of them at close range, on a minibus ambushed in broad daylight on a road through a rubber plantation. After dark a bomb was thrown into a Yaha mosque, wounding 11 people, and 10 km (6 miles) away gunmen sprayed a teashop with automatic rifle fire, killing two Muslims. The army said both the mosque bombing and the shooting were carried out by militants who were hoping people would believe them to be attacks by Buddhists to avenge the bus killings. The army said it feared the attacks suggested the insurgents had shifted their focus once again to Buddhists, as they did early in the latest uprising in the largely Malay-speaking Muslim region annexed by Thailand a century ago. The aim would be to widen the rift between Muslims and Buddhists, an overwhelming majority of the national population but a minority in the far south, Army spokesman Acra Tiproch told a Bangkok television TITV. The Wednesday attacks took place on the anniversary of the founding of the separatist Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), or National Revolutionary Front, which the government had feared would be marked by an increase in violence. The attacks angered many Buddhist Thais in Bangkok, media reported, but Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont insisted violence would not bring peace. "I never compromise with law breakers, but we need to use political means to tackle the problem in the south, not drastic actions," Surayud told reporters. Surayud, installed after a bloodless coup ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in September, went to the region soon afterwards to apologise for his predecessor's hardline policies there and has said talks are the only way to resolve problems. The insurgents, who never claim responsibility for attacks or say anything in public, have ignored him. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #3 Janjaweed, Dr. Steve. |
| Posted by: ed 2007-03-15 11:22 |
| #2 3. Work WITH the Malaysian govt, which may not share my views on Israel, but AFAIK opposed AQ and wants peace with Thailand. Compromise on legitimate grievances of the southerners, to undercut support for the rebels. And then kill, clear, and hold against the rebels. Dont know if that will work - the big question is do the southerners really want independence, or are they just riled up for legitimate or semi-legitimate reasons. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2007-03-15 10:41 |
| #1 I don't see what the Thais are going to do about this. Geography is a cruel mistress and it works against the Thais. The three southern provinces have long borders with Malaysia, and those borders are rugged, indefensible and porous. I don't see how the Thais are going to stop an insurgency with the usual curfews, sweeps, arrests, etc. The people in the south have the same ethnicity and religion as the Malays. This isn't going to end well. Two potential solutions: 1) throw all the Muslims out of the south. That wouldn't go over well internationally and it could provoke a war with Malaysia. Other Muslim states (e.g., Indonesia) could jump in, and that in turn could threaten Singapore. The Thais have a decent army but I don't know that they could whup the Malays. 2) write the south off. Declare it independent or sign a treaty with Malaysia. Then build a big friggin' wall on the new border, which would be very short, and make clear that a Malay Muslim north of the wall will be regarded with great suspicion. If there's another option for the Thais I'd love to hear it. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2007-03-15 10:38 |