Posted on 11/15/2005 10:02:26 PM PST by ConservativeStatement
BANGKOK, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Militants raided a village in Thailand's restive Muslim-majority south overnight, shooting dead up to nine people and wounding eight others, the army said on Wednesday.
Residents of Baan Gra Thong, a Muslim village in the southern province of Narathiwat, were blaming the killings on security forces and were barring police and army officials from entry, southern Army spokesman Acra Tiprote said.
But he said the army was not responsible.
"This is the work of troublemakers who created the incident and blamed it on security officials," the spokesman said.
"We have learned that eight or nine people were killed and eight people injured, including children, women and old people."
Police, who were still trying to negotiate entry to the village on Wednesday morning, said they first received reports of the raid at around 2 a.m. (1900 GMT).
Nearly 1,000 people have been killed in a two-year campaign of separatist violence in Thailand's three southernmost provinces, which used to be an independent sultanate until being formally annexed by Bangkok a century ago.
They'll probably blame this on Bush since he's in Asia.
My first reaction, too, but the last paragraph is meaningful.
Cultists dead. I'm soooo sorrrrryyyy........ NOT!
Oh I suppose it could have been meaningful, but it lost all meaning when the thugs entered a village and slaughtered a cross section of innocents. Causes go out the window when you kill indescriminantly, men, women, children, old people...
It just never ends.
By "meaningful" I meant the history takes blame off Bushie.
I had taken it differently. In truth, the last paragraph did give reason for citizens over there to be upset, so I did misunderstand. I could actually back them being upset, so that's why I mentioned the nullification of that concern.
Sorry I attributed an incorrect stance on your part.
No harm done, I just tried to clarify. :-)
Aw, for cripes sake.
Win-win for the "militants". Removes "useless eaters" that would consume supplies they want; provides a recruitment incident.
They will have an "explanation" on their websites soon, if not already up, blaming all their usual scapegoats: American Special Forces; Da Jooooozzz; CIA; 'Nasty Buddhist' Thai Army; other assorted Infidels & Crusaders.
Earth to Alla: Nine more scumbags headed your way. Be responsible and recycle, virgins that is.
And it will all make sense to them. Thanks.
I just woke up so I am not sure about the background on this one. I am curious who these people were and why they were targetted. Something tells me there is much more to this story.
This is the Thai version of the story:
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2005/11/17/headlines/index.php?news=headlines_19180129.html
Police wait for 11 hours before entering village attacked by armed gang. Unknown assailants used automatic weapons and grenades to massacre an entire family of nine Muslim villagers and injure eight neighbours early yesterday morning.
The dramatic attack occurred at 1am in Ra-ngae district and was carried out by more than 10 assailants armed with weapons such as AK-47s and M-16 rifles, police said.
Among the nine dead were an eight-month-old infant, an eight-year-old girl, as well as four teenage girls.
The slayings raised suspicions on all sides, with officials refusing to enter the crime scene until 11 hours after the killings.
Villagers said the officials did not venture into the village area until 7am. Even then, they would not enter the crime scene and remained only at the front of the village.
The incident reflected the level of difficulty faced by government officials, who are not trusted by local residents.
Director of the Southern Border Provinces Peace-Building Command, Lt General Kwanchart Klaharn, admitted that the closest military unit was only 10 minutes away but defended the decision to delay the entry on the grounds that the incident might have been a part of a plot by insurgents.
Kwanchart pointed to the September hostage crisis in Tanyonglimo in which two marines were taken hostage by villagers and later beaten to death by suspected insurgents.
Narathiwat’s Governor Pracha Therat, who arrived on the scene with deputy command of the Fourth Army Region, Maj General Ongkorn Thongprasom, said it took only 10 minutes to clear the air with the 300 villagers who were there to observe the crime scene.
One villager among the 300-plus observing the situation said there was a lot of confusion as to what had taken place. And people wondered among themselves why the authorities had taken so long to get to the village, he said.
Authorities had misunderstood the gathering as potentially being a trouble for them, he said, and it was not until midday that it became clear that people were just there to observe the crime.
Duraheng Jehso, the father of three injured children, said he was so afraid he had to wait about three hours before he could drive his kids to the hospital.
“The only thing I could do for them was provide them with paracetamol pain killer and wipe their blood with a cloth,” Duraheng said.
Narathiwat’s Governor Pracha Therat told a press conference yesterday that Suding Awaebuesa, head of the family of nine that was killed, had defected to the government side five months ago.
He said the massacre might have been retaliation by militants because of his decision to defect.
In Bangkok, General Rungroj Mahasalanond, the Armed Forces supreme commander, called for a speedy investigation into the killings. He dismissed any suggestion that the authorities were behind the incident.
“I’m afraid the militants are trying to create a situation to confuse people and make them think this incident is the doing of the government,” Rungroj said.
The Nation
Wow.
You really think all Muslims are cultists that deserve this?
We have Muslim allies you know?
Sheesh............
The Muslimes are the ones who create these war situations, beheading young girls, Buddhist monks etc. The cult is like a virus that can only be solved by killing it. An ultimatum is to be handed to the cultists -- convert orDie. I don't particularly care WHICH religion they convert they -- they can become buddhists or falung gong for all I care, just anything but the moon demon cult
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