Two explosions injured nine people, including a soldier, in a nightlife district of this southern border province last night.

Sungai Kolok district, where the explosions occurred, is just an hour’s ride from where Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was spending the night in Narathiwat’s Joh I Rong district.

The bombs were set off at about 8pm outside a row of karaoke bars in the border district, which has in the past been the target of deadly bombings whose victims have included Malaysian tourists.

The explosions occurred hours after Thaksin paid a visit to the home of suspected militant Masae Useng, who has a Bt5-million bounty on his head for allegedly masterminding the raid at an Army base last year that led to a fresh outbreak of violence.

In a goodwill gesture, Thaksin gave Bt1,000 pocket money to each of Masae’s five children and urged his wife to convince her husband to surrender.

The premier last night vowed to develop and open up the region in order to boost local residents’ loyalty to the state. To achieve this, the government would reform the education system by including regular curricula in Islamic religious schools, he said.

During a live interview with Channel 9, Thaksin also promised to tighten security in order to prevent an escalation of terror attacks against government security forces.

He urged suspected militants to give up their struggle and join the government’s efforts to develop the region, pledging that the South would surpass

the prosperity of Malaysia. He billed his trip as a mission to assure the safety of the region, saying he was spending the night in a so-called red zone.

A battalion-strong security force was deployed to provide protection for the prime minister during his trip.

Thaksin stayed in “the most dangerous place in Thailand” last night, having travelled to the deep South under tight security as insurgents stepped up their daring attacks on security forces in a fortnight that has seen two marines beaten to death, villagers beheaded and six rangers gunned down.

He visited Joh I Rong sub-district, where six rangers were slaughtered by insurgents two days ago during an attack seen as a brazen attempt to heighten the campaign of violence.

The rangers were believed to be putting up a checkpoint when they were attacked by suspected insurgents, who seem to have switched their tactics from roadside bombings to heavy gunfire attacks.

The premier and his entourage, which included eight Cabinet

members, spent last night at a Buddhist temple, Wat Joh I Rong Dhamaram, located in an area he described as “the most dangerous place” in Thailand.

But Thaksin got a less-than-enthusiastic welcome when he visited Ban Bukit, the home of Masae, a man considered one of the keys to the ongoing unrest in the region.

Maneeyoh, Masae’s wife, and the entire village appeared to have been caught off guard by the unannounced arrival of the premier.

Thaksin tried to establish a good rapport with the villagers and Masae’s wife, but they fled back into their homes and shut the doors. He followed Maneeyoh into the kitchen of her home and said he would guarantee that her husband got a fair trial.

He urged the villagers of the ethnic Malay village to shun terrorism and speak more Thai, and insisted that development of their community would come only if there was peace and stability.

As he was leaving the village, the premier asked the local children to walk with him. They refused initially, but eventually agreed when he offered each of them Bt100.

On the way back to the temple, Thaksin made a stop at a local market where he was greeted with more enthusiasm than at his previous stop. Most of the locals were about to have breakfast on the second day of the holy month of Ramadan.

Thaksin is today scheduled to visit Ban Tanyonglimo, the scene of a deadly shooting incident last month and the gruesome murder of two marines.

Afterwards, the premier will be granted an audience with Her Majesty the Queen at her palace in the South.

In Pattani, Thaksin will announce the launch of the latest “hi-tech” solution to the security threat. New “Smart Cards” are a computer-friendly form of identification that will force people with dual nationality to choose whether they wish to be considered Thai or Malaysian.

The nationality ultimatum comes at a time when Thai-Malaysian relations have already been strained by Malaysia’s refusal to repatriate 131 Thai Muslims who fled across the border on August 31.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar yesterday reiterated his government’s position and said Malaysia will not push back the Thai Muslims unless they get assurances from Bangkok that they will be safe.

“When other nationals flee their country and do not want to go back, we have a responsibility under international law to consider if we wish to send them back,” Malaysia’s state-run Bernama news agency quoted Syed as saying.

He also urged Thailand to use “existing channels” of communication if Bangkok wishes to seek the repatriation of the 131.

The Thai government’s perceived heavy-handed treatment of the ethnic Malay Muslims in the deep South has set off a campaign in Malaysia calling for the boycott of goods made in Thailand.

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said his government was powerless to stop the campaign.

“If anything happens committed by individuals or NGOs, that is beyond the Malaysian government’s jurisdiction,” he said.

“They are entitled to their own opinions,” he said.

Piyanart Srivalo
The Nation
Narathiwat

Volunteer tutors brush off threat of gunfire to serve in South

Published on October 07, 2005 - Unshaken by the ongoing violence, as many as 177 teachers from around the country are today heading to the three southernmost provinces to give Grade-12 students free tutorials for the upcoming university entrance examinations. The teachers have volunteered their services hoping to help the students in the deep South, whose education is often interrupted by gunfire and explosions. The tutorial project, which begins today, will continue till Monday and cover extensive lessons in physics, chemistry, mathematics, social studies, Thai and English.

The volunteer teachers come from prestigious schools including Satriwithaya, Suankularb Wittayalai, Triam Udom Suksa and Samsen Wittayalai in Bangkok. They will be joined by teachers from well-known schools in other provinces plus tutors from cram schools like The Tutor.

“I am proud that my school has been asked to join the tutorial campaign. To encourage others to join, I myself have volunteered my services,” Rayong Wittayakhom School’s director Manop Ngarmsuwan said, adding, “I have selected nine teachers to join in.”

Buppharat Pinyo, one of the volunteer teachers, said she had been preparing tutorial lessons for a month already. “I hope I can help the students in the deep South to catch up with their peers in other parts of the country,” she said.

Buppharat admitted that she had to spend some time assuring her family and friends that she would be fine during the tutorial project. She said they were worried about her safety. “I have told them I am going to do good deeds and remain under the watchful eyes of security officials,” she said.

About 30 teachers have been killed or injured in the ongoing violence, which erupted in the deep South early last year.

Deputy Education Minister Rung Kaewdaeng yesterday said up to 7,925 students in Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani had registered for the tutorials.

Pradit Rasitanont, director of the Education Ministry’s Office of Inspector General 12 in Yala, said the response from the volunteer teachers was very positive.

“At first, we were worried that the ongoing violence might scare teachers away from the project,” he said.

However, the number of volunteer teachers ended up exceeding the expected target of 90 to 100.

“The free tutorials will benefit underprivileged students who can’t afford tutorial fees,” Pradit said.

According to Pradit, the project was launched last year in Pattani province and it clearly boosted the chances of local students to enter universities.

Rung said the Education Ministry also planned to provide similar tutorials for Grade-12 students for university entrance examinations in January.