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Published on October 31, 2007

Police said Walapha Pinchai, 32, was riding the motorcycle, taking her daughter, Pattama Pinchai, to school when they were fired at by a pillion rider at 7.25am.

Walapha was shot twice in her chest and once in her left leg. Her daughter was shot once in her abdomen. Pattama was pronounced dead at 10am and her mother is now in intensive care.

Elsewhere, a teacher in Ban Bung Nam Sai, identified as Thawit Techawathin, 52, was shot at while riding on a road from Yala to Kotabaru in Yala's Raman district at 8.45am. His wife, Kamolthip Techawathin, 49, was also badly injured. Thawit was taking his wife shopping in Yala. Both are in intensive care.

Witnesses said a pillion rider fired at them before escaping.

Abdullah Kari-uma, the school director, said Thawit was not the first victim. Another teacher from the school had also been shot dead by insurgents.

Bunsom Thonsriplai, chairman of the Confederation of Southern Border Province Teachers, said the shooting of the teacher was intended to lower the morale of teachers ahead of the school opening.

He said eight teachers had been killed one month before the school closed for the last vacation.

"There is no teacher in the southern border province who is not under stress or afraid of what has happened," he said.

He called on security officials to improve their intelligence work and increase security at schools.

Soljai Wibulkit, director of Songkhla Education Zone 3 with jurisdiction over several districts of Songkhla, said after meeting 264 school directors that they are ready to open their schools for the new semester.

Only some districts such as Thepa  and Na Thawi had requested more security forces to protect teachers.

The Nation

Yala