Bannang Sata: A safe haven for insurgents?
By Nasueroh Jeha & Pakorn Puengnetr
Bannang Sata district of Yala province has recently attracted public attention after the killing of Pol Colonel Sompien Eksomya, the district police chief, in an insurgent ambush on March 12. But many people in the rest of the country may not be aware that in this same insurgency-infested district, several other government officials have also lost their lives there by the insurgents.
Among the wellknown victims were Colonel Sutthisak Prasertsri, commander of the 1st task force in Bannang Sata, Pol Captain Thoranit Srisook, deputy commander of the 1st special force company of the Border Patrol Police, and Pol Sub-Lt Krittikul Boonlue, a platoon commander of the Border Patrol Police.
Bannang Sata district is situated in the middle of Yala province. Located about 39 kilometres from Muang district, it is a small district but with a long history dating back to the year 1907 when it was called Bajoh and came under the jurisdiction of Raman township. After the dissolution of all the townships, Bajoh was renamed Bannang Sata which, in Malay language, means Na Maprang.
Bannang Sata district has a total area of 629 square kilometers bordering Yaha, Krong Penang and Raman districts in the north, Rueso and Sri Sakhon districts of Narathiwat in the east, Tharnto district in the south and Kedah state of Malaysia in the west.
The district has a population of some 53,000 people, 60 percent of whom are Muslims and the rest Buddhists. It is divided into six tambons and subdivided into 50 villages.
The district first attracted media attention when on March 14, 2007 when insurgents held up a mini bus shuttling between Betong district and Hat Yai and shot dead all the eight Buddhist passengers.
Bannang Sata and Yaha are the only two districts in the three southernmost provinces where a curfew has been imposed by the Fourth Army Region. Regarded as a safe haven for the insurgents, Bannang Sata is mostly mountainous covered by rain forests, rubber plantations and fruit orchards. Since many of the roads in the district cut through the forests and rubber plantations, they are described as “killing zones” for the authorities who dare to venture through such roads.
Many of the rural roads in the district are off-limits to motorists at night because of the danger posed by the insurgents. These include a road section from Tambon Talingchan of Bannang Sata to Tambon Kalong in Si Sakhon district where Pol Col Sompien and his men were ambushed and killed on March 12.
Driving past Bannang Sata district southward there is a side road leading to Bang Lang dam, once a wellknown tourist attraction which, of late, has become deserted because of the danger from the insurgents. It is here on the road to Tambon Bang Lang dam where Pol Captain Thoranit and Pol Sub-Lt Krittikul were slain by the insurgents in September 29, 2007 and June 20, 2008 respectively.
In September 2006, Col Sutthisak Prasertsri was killed in an ambush by insurgents in Bannang Sata district. A year later on May 31, insurgents killed 12 paramilitary rangers in another ambush.
The insurgents operating in the district was reportedly led by Ma-ae Apiban Bae, who has a one million baht reward on his head.
Frequent clashes between security forces and the insurgents have turned Bannang Sata district into a sort of battlefield.