The last two Thai-Buddhist families in Ban Nomklao are gone

"There were only three of us left.  We were talking about moving out to live in Lamphu (in Muang district of Narathiwat).  But we could not make it,"

          Mrs Wanida Rattana told Isranews agency during the cremation of her mother, Mrs Aree, and her younger brother, Somnoek, at Wat Lamphu in Muang district.

          Mrs Aree, Somnoek and their two neighbours, Chun and Mrs Dum Im-erb, were killed by suspected militants in Ban Nomklao, Tambon Sukhirin, Sukhirin district on the night of April 12 as Thais across the country were celebrating the Songkran festival.  They were the last two Thai-Buddhist families in Ban Nomklao.

          The two families were closely-knitted as they lived next door with each other sharing the same fence.

          Mrs Wanida said that on April 11, she picked up Mrs Aree, her mother, to stay with her in Muang district.  On the next morning, she performed rodnam dumhua ritual to pay respect to her mother.  After the end of the ritual, she asked her mother to spend another night with her but the latter excused saying she didn’t bring with her extra clothes and her medication.

          Mrs Wanida’s husband drove Mrs Aree home at about 4 pm.  Two hours afterward, Mrs Aree and her son were attacked by a group of suspected militants.  Their house was also torched but it was put off by neighbours.

          Mrs Wanida recalled that she initially thought of spending the night at her mother’s house in Ban Nomklao but later changed her mind because there was water shortage in the village otherwise she might have been killed too.

          She said she had always tried to persuade her mother to live with him in Muang district but she was hesitant because she was worried with her 20-rai fruit orchard and a seven-rai of rubber trees which were their source of income.  Only recently that she decided to move out but alas it was too late.

          Mrs Wanida disclosed that her father and uncle were shot dead in 2004 by suspected militants leaving behind the three of them.  Later on, she got married and moved out.

          As for the fruit orchard and the rubber plantation, she said that she wanted to sell them all as she did not intend to return to Ban Nomklao.
Meanwhile, Mrs Ubon Im-erb said that her parents were about to have their dinner when their house came under gun attack.  She said that her family had never had any conflict with the other neighbours who are mostly Muslims.

          "When they (Muslim neighbours) made cookies, they would usually give us some.  When we had extra vegetables, we gave to our neighbours.  It has always been a peaceful co-existence and dependent on one another.  I don’t know who did this to our family," said Mrs Ubon.

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Caption : (center) Mrs Ubon Im-erb (left) Mrs Wanida Rattana