Student 'shot by those who killed her dad'

THE GUNMAN who fatally shot a 20-year-old university student in the South on Sunday might have come from the same group that killed her father in 2006, an informed source reported yesterday.
Suthida Tangjai, a sophomore at Princess of Naradhiwas University (PNU) had been in a coma since she was shot in the back of the head in Narathiwat’s Muang district. She was pronounced dead at Narathiwat Hospital yesterday at 6am.
A national security source in the region said an initial examination found that the spent 9mm bullets did not match any from persons of interest in the sub-district and that it was suspected the group that shot Suthida was from the same group that shot dead her father in 2006. Believing that she might have been targeted by insurgents, officers investigated a lead that some youngsters on a motorcycle had been seen circulating suspiciously near the victim’s house area ever since her father was killed. Police have summoned eyewitnesses to describe the attackers, the source said.
Suthida and three friends were travelling on two motorcycles when two men on a motorcycle approached and the pillion rider opened fire at them with a handgun on Sunday. Suthida remained in a coma at Narathiwat Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit and then was pronounced dead.
Hundreds of people, including university staff and students and provincial governor’s deputies Supanat Sirantawineti and Sitthichai Sakda attended her bathing rites at Wat Bang Po. Sitthichai also presented the family with Bt500,000 in assistance money.
University representatives and military, police and civilian units yesterday morning discussed security measures for students and teachers travelling to and from the university, to prevent a similar tragedy.
PNU rector Jongrak Plasai said this case had shaken people’s morale and reflected the indiscriminate violence against people, including unarmed and innocent students.
 
Bomb defused
An Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team led by Police Captain Anan Yanpaisan yesterday morning defused a 25kg home-made bomb, planted at the entrance to the Tambon Tohdeng Administrative Organisation’s office in Narathiwat’s Sungai Padi district. The bomb was suspected to have targeted security officers who would regularly set up a mobile checkpoint in the area.
Two young men were seen at the spot earlier in the morning but no one paid attention until a group of sewer-digging workers spotted the bomb and alerted police.