Buddhists rally to counter Muslim protest in Pattani
Pattani - More than 1,000 people Sunday continued their fourth day protest at Pattani's Central Mosque demanding the withdrawal of troops and an end of curfew in the deep south, while another 1,000 people rallied in town to counter the demonstration.
The protesters demanded the Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont to endorse a 30-member joint committee they agreed with provincial authorities to set up for investigations to many incidents including a recent attack to kill four local residents in Yala. The committee included Tuwaedaneeya Awaemaegnae, a Ramkhamhaeng student who led the protest, Pattani provincial Islamic Committee chairman Waeduramae Mamingji and human right activist Ankana Neelaphaijit, the wife of missing prominent Muslim lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit as well as representatives of authorities. The protesters said the PM endorsement was not a precondition to end the demonstration as they wanted the government to solve the problems in the restive south. A spate of violence erupted in the predominantly Muslim region since the beginning of 2004 and more than 2,000 people died so far. The government blamed separatists movement for orchestrating the violence while local residents said the government's handling and bad treatment to the local Muslim were the cause root of the violence. The local Muslim blamed security officials assaulted innocent people and demanded troops notably rangers to be withdrawn from the unrest region. The protestors pointed out a specific case of attack to a family in Yala's Yaha district accusing rangers of killing and rapping a Muslim woman. The Fourth Region of the Internal Security Operation Command Sunday issued a statement to dismiss the allegation saying the woman was shot dead and autopsy indicated no sign of rape. The authorities, however, could not make it clear weather rangers or else attacked her family. While the demonstration was going on at the central mosque, a group of 1000 people, mostly local Buddhists staged a rally in Pattani downtown demanding the protest to end. The group said they got troubles from the protest since the authorities cut mobile phone network to prevent it from being used to ignite bombs and that also barring local people nearby from communication. Shops near the central mosque were automatically closed since officials blocked the road nearby to prevent more gathering of people from outside. The Nation
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