Suspected insurgents detonated two improvised explosive devices (IED), one in Yala and another in Narathiwat, as former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra begins his first visit to the restive Deep South today in 20 years.
Seven officials and four civilians were injured by the explosion on Saturday night, in front of the Big C department store in Bannang Sata district of Yala. One of the wounded civilians later died in the district hospital.
The second explosion occurred at Narathiwat airport at about 9am today, about an hour before the plane carrying Thaksin was due to arrive.
Police say that an IED was hidden beneath a bronze pickup truck parked at the airport, belonging to a fireman working there. No one was injured, but the explosion caused minor damage to the vehicle.
After the explosion at the airport, Captain Santi Katesripongsa, commander of a Royal Thai Navy marine unit, and Maj-Gen Chalermporn Khamkhieu, commander of the Narathiwat Task Force, offered an assurance that the incident will not affect the visit of Thaksin and his team, among them Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong.
House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, Pol Lt-Col Wannapong Kotcharak, secretary-general of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre and Narathiwat governor, were among a large group of people at the airport to welcome Thaksin.
Security at the airport was beefed up after the incident. Shortly after Thaksin’s arrival, he and his team boarded a helicopter heading to the stadium of Sungai Padi Tambon Administrative Organisation. From there, they proceeded to Prachum Cholatarn temple, to pay respects to the abbot, and held discussions with leaders of both the Buddhist and Muslim communities on development projects in Narathiwat province.
Thaksin and his team have a busy day today, meeting with Muslim religious and community leaders. In the late afternoon, they will travel by a helicopter to Yala province to visit the TK Park and to hold discussions with House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha.
A third incident is reported to have been caused by a group of young men who lobbed a bundle of firecrackers into bushes in Cho Airong district of Narathiwat, causing a loud explosion. No one was hurt.
Many Thai Muslims in the Deep South, especially in Narathiwat, still harbour painful memories of the “Tak Bai massacre” on October 25th, 2004, when seven Muslim protesters were shot dead and 78 others died of suffocation, after being stacked several layers deep as they were trucked from Tak Bai police station to an army camp in Pattani. Thaksin was the prime minister at the time.
None of those responsible for the massacre were punished. The case was closed in October last year, due to the expiry of the statute of limitations, after the last seven defendants failed to report to the court.
