A violent week in deep South
By the News Desk
Violence has, of late, surged in the three southernmost provinces. No one seems to have a clear explanation about why. But many locals in the region feel that most of the violent incidents took place in certain areas and some of the incidents were very unusual and could worsen the sense of mistrust and division between the local Muslims and the authorities.
One of the cases which remains shrouded in mystery and which has provoked deep suspicion among the local Muslims towards the authorities, the military in particular, is the mysterious death of Sulaiman Nasae, a 25-year old suspect on security-related offence. Sulaiman was found dead while in detention at a military camp. Authorities claimed that the victim committed suicide, but his family and neighbours suspected that he might be a victim of foul play.
The latest unusual incident took place on the night of June 19 in Saiburi district of Pattani when two men, riding on a motorcycle, lobbed a hand grenade at Nurulmuttalin mosque in Ban Tabing. The explosion injured a woman and two young boys.
Police initially believed that suspected insurgents were responsible for the unprovoked attack. However, most villagers thought otherwise.
A string of violent incidents took place in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat last week, resulting to four deaths and scores wounded.
On June 19 in Muang district of Pattani, unidentified gunmen opened fire with M16 and AK47 assault rifles into a house in Ban Puyud, killing the houseowner and his wife, Mr Muhamad Sukri Wadeng and Mrs Aminoh. Their two-year old daughter, Sofia, was injured. Police suspected business conflict as the motive of the gun attack.
Meanwhile in Ra-ngae district of Narathiwat on the same day, assailants, riding on a pick-up truck, shot up another truck driven by Mr Kuheng Yusoh, a village head of Ban I-pasae, as he was heading home from the Tanyongmas market. Kuheng sustained serious injuries from M16 shots. Police suspected insurgents of staging the attack.
On Friday June 18 in Thung Yang Daeng district of Pattani, four assailants one of whom dressed in army uniform shot to death Mr Abdulhadi Manusae, a villager of Tambon Bacho, with a pistol. Police said the murder was motivated by personal conflict or he was killed by suspected insurgents.
Also on the sameday, suspected insurgents detonated a roadside bomb as an armoured truck carrying suspected criminals was passing the site in Cho-i-rong district of Narathiwat. No one was injured but the truck sustained heavy damages.
In Muang district of Yala on Thursday June 17, Mr Opas Chitkamhaeng, a defence volunteer, was gunned down by suspected insurgents as he was riding a motorbike on the Yeengor-Rueso highway.