"In an apparent response by separatist militants to Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont's peace visit." Thai Jihad Update. By Chalee Boonsawat for Reuters:
NARATHIWAT, Thailand (Reuters) - Three bombs went off in Muslim southern Thailand on Friday, killing one person and wounding 27, in an apparent response by separatist militants to Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont's peace visit the previous day.
Police said the first bomb, a 15 kg (33 lb) device hidden in a fire extinguisher, hit a Humvee carrying five soldiers in Narathiwat, one of the three southernmost provinces where more than 1,800 people have been killed since January 2004.
The second and third bombs were detonated by mobile phones around an hour later at a tea shop and in a nearby street in the provincial capital of the same name. One person was killed and 22 people were wounded, police said.
Since his appointment by the army after a September coup against Thaksin Shinawatra, Surayud has launched a major peace drive in the Muslim-majority, Malay-speaking region.
He has apologized for Thaksin's iron fist approach and stated a desire for talks with the rebels.
The suspected Muslim separatists, who have never made their goals public or claimed responsibility for any attacks, appear to be responding with coordinated bomb attacks and an increase in violence against civilians.
Bombs exploded almost simultaneously at eight car and motorcycle showrooms on November 9, the day after Surayud's previous visit to the region, which used to be the independent sultanate of Pattani until annexed by Bangkok a century ago.
Analysts said the militants appeared to be sending a message to the former army chief, who commands wide respect in all parts of Thailand, including the southern provinces bordering Malaysia, not to get involved.
"Surayud presents a far greater threat to the militants than anybody else," said Brian Dougherty of Bangkok-based security consultants Hill and Associates.
"They probably enjoyed having Thaksin because he was universally hated in the south, whereas Surayud is welcomed and liked. They cannot allow his programs, his new approach, to be effective," he said.
True, it may have been easier to muster public sentiment in the south against Thaksin, but the rest of the article supports the notion that Surayud's ascent to power and subsequent policies have sent the jihadists the signal that they are winning, and should only press on. If there is a rivalry between them and Surayud that poses a "threat" to them, it may be more usefully compared to the rivalry between Hamas and Mahmoud Abbas: Differing methods, but neither can be trusted to procure an outcome that is not disastrous for non-Muslims.
Since September, the month of Thaksin's removal, Dougherty said the daily violence was claiming almost three times as many civilians victims as before, a clear indication of a shift in tactics.
In one week alone, 90 percent of casualties were civilian, the remaining 10 percent being described as "officials" -- anything from soldiers and border police to village volunteers and local government bureaucrats.
"Insurgent groups are targeting civilians to show their power and highlight the Thai government's weakness," said Brad Adams of New York-based Human Rights Watch.
"But it's illegal and morally indefensible to attack civilians in pursuit of political goals."
Ask the jihadists their definition of "civilian."
He has apologized for Thaksin's iron fist approach and stated a desire for talks with the rebels.
and after this there are three times the violence. learn from this lesson, you cannot make peace and appease those who want to destroy you. these muslim terrorisits only respect power, and this is a lesson for those who want to cut and run. you never, never show weakness ie, cut and run. many have made logical reasons for talking to these monsters, and leaving iraq, but it only emboldens this group of murderous muslim terrorists.
Surayud made some disturbing statements earlier in the week to the effect that he would do 'anything' to achieve peace in the south. I believe he said he would "prostrate himself at the feet" of anyone who would bring peace. Bodes poorly for keeping the kingdom intact, IMO.
according to the academics John Mearsheimer & Steven Walt, all of the frictions between Muslims and non-Muslims throughout the world are because of mean things that they allege Israel did to perpetually innocent palestinian Arabs. So if it happens in Thailand or the Philippines, it's all because olmert had a bad hair day and was mean to Hamasites in Gaza. Isn't it obvious?
Just one question: Why did Haj Amin el-Husseini --leader of the palestinian Arabs-- take part in the Holocaust during WW2, urging the Germans to kill more Jews faster? There was no state of Israel at that time.
Is it time to build a wall between northern and southern Thailand yet? Perhaps adding more Muslims to the government will help. Sheesh!
With a Mohammedan coup-leader/general now in charge one can already see where this is leading:
Surayud will NOT do anything against the 'militants' but will in fact support them against his own government...
By the time the Thai's wake up the damage will be irreversible!
To allow a Mohammedan general -in a Buddhist country- to deal with the jihad is just like trying to put the fire out with gasoline!
Unbelievable!
It is so sad. When I heard of the coup I cried. The Thai have no idea what's coming but will wake up one day in chains. I thought the south would break away and never saw the goverment falling without a shot as it did. Is Burma next? The sky is falling on Buddhism in southeast asia and there is no honorable enlightened warrior to save the day.
General Surayud would never have gotten as far as he has in the Thai military unless he was able to get along with non-Muslims and had an undeniable loyalty to the Thai state and monarch. This is by no means an uncommon stance among Thai Muslims; and if Surayud is of Yunnan Chinese or South Asian ancestry it is completely unsurprising. Even in southern Thailand there are plenty of Muslims who accept that they are part of Thailand (and they've been part of Thailand ever since Buddhist archers on elephant-back "persuaded" the sultans of Songkhlaa and Pattani to send tribute up to Ayudhya). Indeed, many of the police and civilians killed by the terrorists were Muslim.
A Muslim official in the service of a Buddhist monarch is not a strange thing in Far Eastern history. While it is not likely that the Thai majority will turn to another religion or accept a non-Thorawadee Buddhist on the throne, the glass ceiling for religious minorities haslong been pretty high in that country.
The Thais aren't out yet. A recent poll showed that many Thais (29.2%) believe that the government should use strict measures against the terrorists. See here:
http://bangkokpundit.blogspot.com/2006/11/academics-vs-people-on-situation-in.html
"Three bombs went off in Muslim southern Thailand on Friday, killing one person and wounding 27, in an apparent response by separatist militants to Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont's peace visit the previous day."
Beware: Strange phenomenon when peace initiatives, dhimmis and Islam appear in magic threesome..
Sheik yer'mami & Kepha,
I think you are confusing Prime Minister Surayud with the Army COS Sonthi Bunyaratglin. Surayud is definitely NOT a Muslim.
While Sonthi, a nominal Muslim, did actually command the troops in pulling off the coup against "Toxin" he would never have done so without implicit clearance from the palace. Prime Minister Surayud is a devout Buddhist whose cabinet includes only two Muslims. Two more are Catholic and the rest are all Buddhists.
Surayud is no fool. Much of what is reported, is for foriegn consumption. Remember, Surayud cut his teeth as an officer destroying the communist guerillas in the '60s and '70s. It appears he using the same programme now. Offering the insurgents amnesty and full intergration into Thai society and when the terrorists show the world that they are not willing to make peace, Surayud will use that as an excuse to wipe them out. Right now, Thailand in only at the beginning of phase one and it appears the Muslims are using the same kind of violence and making the same errors as the Reds 25 years ago.
Surayud is following Sun Tsu's Art of War perfectly. "Make enough concessions to lull your enemy into thinking you are weak, then when he makes the mistake of no longer respecting you, crush him with overwhelming force."
Sonthi, the muslim army general has just started a re-shuffle in the army.
Does anyone have an idea why?
Does he try to strengthen his position?
For those that think that the coup was approved in advance by the King please consider that Sonthi first made the coup and after then went to the King for approval to install a temporary govt.
What choices did the King have? He approved for the sake of peace in this country.
Today five more killings
What are the solutions?
Arnie,
The King's go-between that coordinated the coup was former Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda, who is a member of the Palace Privy Council and the king's closest advisor. He met with Sonthi several times in the days leading up to the coup. It was also Prem who played a key role in the appointment of Surayud Chulanont, his former Army subordinate, as Premier, as well as in the appointment of Surayud's Cabinet and Parliament.
It would not be much of a stretch to say that Prem, not Sonthi, was the actual mastermind of the coup.