Narathwiat - A woman, wanted for the fatal assault on teacher Juling Pongkunmul in May 2006, and her daughter were shot dead yesterday at their rubber plantation, 4km from Ban Kujing Leupa village in Narathiwat's Rangae district.
About 100 police and soldiers showed up at the plantation to identify the bodies of Jaemae Hayae, 50, and her daughter Barati Labo, 25, after reports of a homicide. Inquiries showed the two were tapping rubber trees when they were ambushed and shot by an unknown group of gunmen, who fled with the victims' pistols.
Jaemae and Barati, wanted by the Narathiwat Court for allegedly conspiring to attack Juling, were reportedly sympathetic to insurgents and provided assistance to RKK gunmen. Police suspect the two were killed due to conflicts among the insurgents.
Juling was one of two teachers taken hostage in May 2006 at the Ban Kujing Leupa School by villagers who wanted to trade their freedom for the release of two men arrested as suspects for the murder of two Thai marines in 2005. Juling was badly beaten while held captive, which lead to her going into a coma and dying eight months later.
