Chidchai will today seek another threemonth extension for the state of emergency decree in the three southernmost provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala to control the violence. The law gives officials the authorisation to detain suspects for up to 30 days without charge.

Monday's bomb went off at noon in front of a noodle shop in Narathiwat's Sungai Padi district, some 200 metres from the district police station. The explosion partly damaged a motorbike in which the bomb was placed, and police noted it was detonated by a cell phone found at the scene. There were no reports of casualties.

In Narathiwat's Muang district, Prasan Tangjai, 32, a defence volunteer, was shot dead at about 9.30am on his motorbike while taking his singing bird to a contest in Rangae district. He died on the way to hospital. Witnesses said one of two men on a motorbike shot him before riding away.

Police said he was almost certainly shot by militants to maintain violence in the predominantly Muslim region.

A spate of violence has rocked the region since the beginning of 2004 and killed more than 1,200 people.

Deputy Prime Minister Chidchai, who was on a tour of the deep South, yesterday said the situation has been improving as the government had managed to block the movement of both explosive substances and militants. The violence was now only moderate and the situation in some villages was under control, he said.

With cooperation from local residents, authorities would be able to arrest a number of suspected militants soon, he said.

The Nation

Narathiwat