ID :
65609
Sat, 06/13/2009 - 16:49
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http://m.oananews.org//node/65609
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Deputy PM pledges to end Southern violence in 3 years
NARATHIWAT, June 13 (TNA) - Expressing concern over the militants stepping up their campaign of bloody violence in restive southern Thailand, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban on Saturday told Thai Muslims gathering at a mosque in this troubled southern province that the government is trying to end the violence within three years.
As Mr. Suthep promise villagers gathering at the Al-Furgan mosque in Ai Payae village of Narathiwat’s in Cho-airong district, the scene of Monday’s massacre, another explosion took place in the province, wounding five persons.
Also, a woman teacher was killed in a drive-by shooting and another was wounded in the province earlier Saturday.
Accompanied by several senior officials including Defence Minister Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan and Army chief Gen. Anupong Paochinda, Mr. Suthep told the local residentss that the government would employ every means to bring those responsible for the violence to justice.
He urged the people to become the eyes and ears of the authorities, not listen to militants’ propaganda against the government and that he believed the “the problem of violence could be solved within three years.”
Monday night’s massacre at the mosque left 10 innocent people dead and 12 wounded.
Pledging that he would try to improve the livelihood of the people in the troubled region, Mr. Suthep said the government’s development fund for the three troubled southern provinces -- Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat -- which is part of the Bt800 billion fund for the second economic stimulus programme should reach villages in the region within the next two or three months if the proposed legislation to borrow the money passes the House of Representatives.
Members of the House are scheduled to debate on Monday and Tuesday the government’s proposed legislation to borrow the Bt800 billion to be spent for jump-starting the national economy.
As Mr. Suthep promised to end the violence in the region, an explosive hidden inside a canned soft drink and placed inside a refrigerator at a grocery shop in Narathiwat’s Bacho district exploded after being detonated by remote control, wounding five persons.
Earlier in the day, two unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle shot and killed a female teacher and wounding her companion teacher in a village. The victims were riding a motorcycle when the incident took place.
In another incident in nearby Yala province, two unidentified insurgents on a motorcycle threw an explosive at a bus travelling in Bannang Sata district, police said.
Initial investigation showed that more than 10 persons were wounded by the blast. All were sent to hospital for treatment, they said.
In the face of almost daily violence, New York-based Human Rights Watch on Friday called on Thai authorities to impartially investigate the massacre at the mosque as well as retaliatory attacks on Buddhist monks and civilians.
“Several ethnic Malay Muslims from the region told Human Rights Watch that they believe Thai security forces targeted the Muslim community to avenge recent killings of Buddhist Thai civilians and officials by separatist insurgents,” a statement by the group said. (TNA)
As Mr. Suthep promise villagers gathering at the Al-Furgan mosque in Ai Payae village of Narathiwat’s in Cho-airong district, the scene of Monday’s massacre, another explosion took place in the province, wounding five persons.
Also, a woman teacher was killed in a drive-by shooting and another was wounded in the province earlier Saturday.
Accompanied by several senior officials including Defence Minister Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan and Army chief Gen. Anupong Paochinda, Mr. Suthep told the local residentss that the government would employ every means to bring those responsible for the violence to justice.
He urged the people to become the eyes and ears of the authorities, not listen to militants’ propaganda against the government and that he believed the “the problem of violence could be solved within three years.”
Monday night’s massacre at the mosque left 10 innocent people dead and 12 wounded.
Pledging that he would try to improve the livelihood of the people in the troubled region, Mr. Suthep said the government’s development fund for the three troubled southern provinces -- Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat -- which is part of the Bt800 billion fund for the second economic stimulus programme should reach villages in the region within the next two or three months if the proposed legislation to borrow the money passes the House of Representatives.
Members of the House are scheduled to debate on Monday and Tuesday the government’s proposed legislation to borrow the Bt800 billion to be spent for jump-starting the national economy.
As Mr. Suthep promised to end the violence in the region, an explosive hidden inside a canned soft drink and placed inside a refrigerator at a grocery shop in Narathiwat’s Bacho district exploded after being detonated by remote control, wounding five persons.
Earlier in the day, two unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle shot and killed a female teacher and wounding her companion teacher in a village. The victims were riding a motorcycle when the incident took place.
In another incident in nearby Yala province, two unidentified insurgents on a motorcycle threw an explosive at a bus travelling in Bannang Sata district, police said.
Initial investigation showed that more than 10 persons were wounded by the blast. All were sent to hospital for treatment, they said.
In the face of almost daily violence, New York-based Human Rights Watch on Friday called on Thai authorities to impartially investigate the massacre at the mosque as well as retaliatory attacks on Buddhist monks and civilians.
“Several ethnic Malay Muslims from the region told Human Rights Watch that they believe Thai security forces targeted the Muslim community to avenge recent killings of Buddhist Thai civilians and officials by separatist insurgents,” a statement by the group said. (TNA)
