THAILAND: Roadside bomb attack kills two in southern Thailand, including the Yala Deputy Governor, just one week after the country held its first formal talks with a major rebel group

Record ID: 353822

  • Title: THAILAND: Roadside bomb attack kills two in southern Thailand, including the Yala Deputy Governor, just one week after the country held its first formal talks with a major rebel group
  • Date: 5th April 2013
  • Summary: YALA, THAILAND (APRIL 5, 2013) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) OFFICIAL WALKING PAT SITE WHERE BOMB EXPLODED CAR DAMAGED FROM BOMB OFFICIALS WALKING ON SCENE OFFICERS CHECKING CAR CAR DAMAGED BY BOMB RESCUE TEAMS PUTTING COVER OVER BODY BODY BEING PLACED IN CAR CAR DAMAGED BY BOMB SIGN OF VILLAGE READ "BAAN NAM KHUN"
  • Embargoed: 20th April 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Thailand
  • Country: Thailand
  • Topics: Crime,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA9YR0P5FUUNGVWUXZP5GSTAK5D
  • Story Text: Suspected Muslim rebels in southern Thailand killed a deputy provincial governor and another state official with a roadside bomb on Friday (April 5).
    The attack comes just a week after the government held first formal talks with a rebel group to try to end years of violence.
    At least 29 people have died in the three southern provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat since February 28 when the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) rebels agreed to hold talks. More than 5,300 people have died since January 2004.
    Isra Thongthawat, deputy governor of Yala province, was travelling in a car with his Muslim driver, Stopa Jehloh, and Chavalit Chairuek, a provincial disaster management official, when the bomb went off. Chavalit died on the spot, police said.
    Isra died later in hospital, becoming the most senior civilian official to be killed in the three provinces since the Muslim insurgency resurfaced in 2004 after simmering for decades.
    Doctors at a hospital in Yala province said Stopa was in a critical condition.
    Thai security officials say the BRN is the main insurgent organisation behind the violence but acknowledge that other armed groups operate in the three provinces and may not agree even with the idea of talks.
    The government has ruled out autonomy or self-rule, and some analysts remain pessimistic the talks will do much to curb the violence.
    Thailand Human Right Watch Sunai Phasuk said to Reuters that Thai authorities need to fine-tune the peace efforts by moving beyond talking to de-radicalising the situation on the ground starting with trying to understand the factors that galvanise the militants.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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