Two shot dead, child wounded in South
Schoolchildren take part in a morning prayer at their makeshift classrooms at Nirot Sangkaram Temple in Yala’s Muang district yesterday. The children are among over 100 Buddhists who sought refuge at the temple in the wake of violent attacks on their vill
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A nine-year-old girl was among the victims yesterday in a string of shootings in the deep South in which two men died.
Yala Islamic religious teacher Roheng Dueraseh, 53, was found dead in his pickup yesterday morning on a dirt road in Raman district. He was killed by fire from an AK-47 assault rifle.Police said at least two motorcycle gunmen opened fire as Roheng drove to work. His wife and son, who were travelling with him, escaped injury. Separately, Than To villager Kanchit Petchsuwan, 39, and his nine-year-old daughter Soraya were injured in a drive-by shooting in front of a local health clinic. In neighbouring Narathiwat rubber tapper Udomsak Prommachan, 27, was shot by two suspected Muslim militants while riding his motorbike to work in Rusoh. He died from his injuries in hospital. Muslim insurgents were suspected in all attacks. The almost-daily killings continue to claim lives even after Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont's apology for past policies in the region. He will visit again on Thursday, the third time since his appointment on October 1. Council for National Security Chairman General Sonthi Boonyaratglin will visit separately. A recent wave of attacks has prompted monks to cease morning alms rounds. A soldier escorting monks was killed recently when a bomb exploded in a refuse container. As of yesterday, Narathiwat monks have stopped venturing out of temples. Those seeking to give alms were asked to attend temples. District abbot Prakru Sunthornthepwimol said the security move had positive effects. It would encourage more people to visit temples. Very few people currently visited temples to make donations and monks relied on a small number of regular visitors. In addition security personnel would no longer have to risk their lives travelling with monks. Meanwhile, United Nation's Under-secretary-general for political affairs, Ibrahim Gambari, has praised Thailand's policy of seeking reconciliation in the South, according to Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram. Nitya told reporters Gambari believed a policy of putting justice at the top of the agenda would help quell unrest. "We told him the situation should improve because we are restoring faith in the justice system," Nitya said. The government of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was criticised for harsh policies adopted in the region. About 1,800 people have been killed in the area since January 2004. The Nation YALA
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