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DEEP SOUTH: Teachers’ homes shot up
Published on June 29, 2005
One badly hurt as suspected insurgents rake houses with automatic gunfire
At least five gunmen opened fire with assault rifles at teachers’ houses in Narathiwat early yesterday, seriously injuring one, police and witnesses said.
The shooting spree, which lasted for 10 minutes starting at about 2am, severely damaged four of 14 houses occupied by teachers.
The injured teacher was identified as Sunthorn Nilvisut.
Dozens of spent cartridges from M-16 and AK-47 assault rifles were found scattered near the four houses. A handwritten note was left at the site, apparently by the attackers, with the words: “Why did authorities fire at people’s houses?”
Some teachers whose houses had been shot up said they would move out immediately because of fear for their lives.
Colonel Term Inthasara, superintendent of the Sungai Padi police station, blamed the attack on insurgents who he said were trying to scare teachers away. However, he said he did not believe the attackers had intended to kill any teachers but had shot at the houses at random.
In other attacks yesterday, police said four people were shot dead in the deep South amid the continuing violence by suspected militants.
In separate early morning attacks in Pattani, Thanat Nilvisut and Tonkui Saeku were shot dead by motorcycle gunmen.
Thanat, a janitor at Pattani Technical College, was riding his motorcycle to work when a gunman on another motorbike shot him from behind. The assailant and his accomplice fled the scene.
In a similar attack, Tonkui, a chicken merchant, was drinking tea at a shop in Pattani’s Yaring district when a pillion-riding gunman shot him twice before fleeing.
A third similar attack occurred yesterday morning in Yala. A gunman shot Sarng Saewong, an employee of the Saba Yoi district highway office in Songkhla, as he was riding his motorbike to work. Sarng died from a gunshot wound to the head.
In Narathiwat, Muhamadnu Yawae, a 33-year-old Muslim, was killed in front of his house by two gunmen who approached him under the pretence of asking for information.
Government spokesman Chalermdej Jombunud announced yesterday that unmanned drones would soon be flown over the restive region to spy on militants’ movements.
Chalermdej explained that Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had ordered the Defence Ministry to manufacture 10 drones with an operating radius of 3 kilometres for use in the troubled South.
“They will be equipped with the latest cameras to monitor the movements of militants in inaccessible jungle areas,” he said.
Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya, meanwhile, conceded that local security forces were not adequately equipped or trained to suppress the simmering violence.
“Everyone is working very hard, but they [the security forces] have limitations, so I will provide them with more training and more equipment and in particular with a larger budget,” Chidchai said.
He estimated that around one third of violent attacks in the region were the work of militants.
In a related development, more than 2,000 people attended the cremation yesterday afternoon of Kobkul Runsaewa, the school headmistress who was shot dead last Friday in Narathiwat. Authorities believe she was a victim of an orchestrated attack by militants.
Among the mourners at the ceremony were Narathiwat governor Pracha Terat, Fourth Region Army commander Lt-General Khwan-chat Klahan and Region 9 police chief Lt-General Adul Sangsing-kaew.
Royal Guard General Naphol Boonthap presented Bt50,000 donated by Her Majesty the Queen to Kobkul’s paralysed mother, Chalaem Runsaewa.
Pracha said yesterday that he would instruct the local Red Cross unit to pay the monthly medical expenses of the elderly mother “by way of compensation in return for Kobkul’s contribution to the country”.
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DEEP SOUTH: Teachers homes shot up
One teacher badly hurt when suspected insurgents raked houses with gunfire
At least five gunmen opened fire with assault rifles at teachers’ houses in Narathiwat early yesterday, seriously injuring one, police and witnesses said.
The shooting spree, which lasted for 10 minutes starting at about 2am, severely damaged four of 14 houses occupied by teachers.
The injured teacher was identified as Sunthorn Nilvisut.
Dozens of spent cartridges from M-16 and AK-47 assault rifles were found scattered near the four houses. A handwritten note was left at the site, apparently by the attackers, with the words: “Why did authorities fire at people’s houses?”
Some teachers whose houses had been shot up said they would move out immediately because of fear for their lives.
Colonel Term Inthasara, superintendent of the Sungai Padi police station, blamed the attack on insurgents who he said were trying to scare teachers away. However, he said he did not believe the attackers had intended to kill any teachers but had shot at the houses at random.
In other attacks yesterday, police said four people were shot dead in the deep South amid the continuing violence by suspected militants.
In separate early morning attacks in Pattani, Thanat Nilvisut and Tonkui Saeku were shot dead by motorcycle gunmen.
Thanat, a janitor at Pattani Technical College, was riding his motorcycle to work when a gunman on another motorbike shot him from behind. The assailant and his accomplice fled the scene.
In a similar attack, Tonkui, a chicken merchant, was drinking tea at a shop in Pattani’s Yaring district when a pillion-riding gunman shot him twice before fleeing.
A third similar attack occurred yesterday morning in Yala. A gunman shot Sarng Saewong, an employee of the Saba Yoi district highway office in Songkhla, as he was riding his motorbike to work. Sarng died from a gunshot wound to the head.
In Narathiwat, Muhamadnu Yawae, a 33-year-old Muslim, was killed in front of his house by two gunmen who approached him under the pretence of asking for information.
Government spokesman Chalermdej Jombunud announced yesterday that unmanned drones would soon be flown over the restive region to spy on militants’ movements.
Chalermdej explained that Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had ordered the Defence Ministry to manufacture 10 drones with an operating radius of 3 kilometres for use in the troubled South.
“They will be equipped with the latest cameras to monitor the movements of militants in inaccessible jungle areas,” he said.
Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya, meanwhile, conceded that local security forces were not adequately equipped or trained to suppress the simmering violence.
“Everyone is working very hard, but they [the security forces] have limitations, so I will provide them with more training and more equipment and in particular with a larger budget,” Chidchai said.
He estimated that around one third of violent attacks in the region were the work of militants.
In a related development, more than 2,000 people attended the cremation yesterday afternoon of Kobkul Runsaewa, the school headmistress who was shot dead last Friday in Narathiwat. Authorities believe she was a victim of an orchestrated attack by militants.
Among the mourners at the ceremony were Narathiwat governor Pracha Terat, Fourth Region Army commander Lt-General Khwan-chat Klahan and Region 9 police chief Lt-General Adul Sangsing-kaew.
Royal Guard General Naphol Boonthap presented Bt50,000 donated by Her Majesty the Queen to Kobkul’s paralysed mother, Chalaem Runsaewa.
Pracha said yesterday that he would instruct the local Red Cross unit to pay the monthly medical expenses of the elderly mother “by way of compensation in return for Kobkul’s contribution to the country
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