Bombs 'best defused on site'

 He was referring to an explosion on Monday, which killed three Navy personnel and wounded six others at a barracks in Narathiwat.

Colonel Somkhuan Khongying said the explosion at Marines Task Force 32 in Bacho district could have resulted from electrical sparks set off as officers were defusing the bomb, not necessarily a hidden explosive as widely speculated.
Some 500 people attended the bathing rite at a Narathiwat temple yesterday for three Marines killed while inspecting the “disarmed” explosive. The Army and related agencies also initially provided Bt1 million in assistance along with the “Bang Rachan” medal to the deceased Marines’ families.
Meanwhile, Malaysian army officers manned 10 temporary checkpoints on the Kolok River opposite Narathiwat to allow only Malaysians to pass, in a bid to prevent attacks during the national election, due on May 5, from insurgents opposed to peace talks which Malaysia has brokered.
National Security Council secretary-general Paradorn Pattanathabutr said earlier that the peace talks with militant Muslim leaders would continue despite ongoing violence in the deep South.
Paradorn admitted unrest had not diminished since the talks last month with Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) in Kuala Lumpur, but said problems would continue with or without the dialogue, as it stemmed from both the insurgency, plus illegal border trade.
“The frequency of violent activities in the South has increased but the degree of violence has been milder. Security has been stepped up in many areas such as Narathiwat’s Bacho district,” he said.
Individuals who recently put up anti-peace banners were youths, but the government encouraged all groups to take part in the peace process so Thailand could learn about all problems in a bid to solve them, he said. The talks had started with BRN as it was the largest group, and they admitted they could not control all insurgent factions.