Peace talks met with violence

Southern insurgents yesterday greeted the first day of the Kuala Lumpur peace talks between Thai officials and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) group with a show of force, killing three rangers and seriously wounding eight others with a bomb in Narathiwat’s Joh I Rong district.

Rangers Pornchai Phongern, 21, and Sangkom Huanghung, 27, died at the scene and Peerachat Sri-namngern, 28, died in hospital.

Sergeant Montri Kraitep said he was leading the group of 12 rangers on patrol on a side street from Joh I Rong to Istear when an unknown number of insurgents detonated the improvised explosive device. He said he ordered his men to fire upon the insurgents to prevent them from approaching and massacring the whole team. An exchange of gunfire lasted about 10 minutes before the insurgents retreated. Montri added that he had called for reinforcements.

At the scene, there was a collapsed electrical pole and a 23-kilogram gas cylinder with a radio device attached. Bullet casings from AK-47 and M-16 assault rifles were also found.

Three suspects in the attack have been identified as Sukifri Suemae, Waehanman Ku Waekama and Mama Mudora-sae.

Suemae is a suspected bombmaker who was arrested seven years ago in Malaysia and recently released by Malaysian authorities for unknown reasons. Waekama is believed to be adept with war weapons and Mudora-sae is an RKK (Runda Kumpulan Kecil) leader based in Joh I Rong.

The attack was reportedly in retaliation for the extra-judicial killing of RKK member Abdulromaeng on Tuesday night. The group also took part in the attack on a marine base in Bacho district on February 13.

Lt-Colonel Issara Chantakrayom, deputy chief of the Ranger 48th Division, said a joint security force of 100 personnel searched houses near the explosion and detained four suspects. One suspect was a rubber farmer who police had detained and questioned earlier. He was released after officials came to believe he was not involved.

Meanwhile, security has been stepped up on the Thai-Malaysian border in Yala’s Betong district.

District chief Suaprit Petkarn said he believed Betong was being targeted by insurgents. He instructed various security agencies to join forces and keep watch on business and tourism areas. Police and military personnel, including the para-military rangers, are taking turns in 24-hour patrols.

Suaprit said he had also instructed village heads to monitor their communities to prevent possible “symbolic attacks” as peace talks got under way.

Security has also been tightened at border checkpoints as well as in Songkhla’s six districts. Motorists faced strict security at checkpoints on roads in Chana, Thepha, Na Thawi, Saba Yoi, Hat Yai and Muang districts.

Plainclothes police officers manned both major and minor roads linking the three southern provinces after police were tipped off about possible bomb attacks.