By Panu Wongcha-um
CHANAE, Thailand, Aug 28 (Reuters) – Security guard Ni-arfan Doloh was taking a routine photograph for his nightly report on Saturday when five masked men carrying rifles emerged from inside a government office in Thailand’s southern Narathiwat province.
“I was shocked,” said Ni-arfan, 25, recalling how they led him and another guard behind the Chang Phueak sub-district office, instructed them to sit with their hands behind their backs, and promised no harm would come to them.
The masked men then set fire to the building, one of at least 78 incidents in a coordinated wave of arson, bombings and other attacks across four provinces in Thailand’s insurgency-hit deep south last weekend, injuring three people.
No group has claimed responsibility, as is the case with most attacks in the predominantly Muslim and ethnic Malay provinces bordering Malaysia, where a slow-burning insurgency waged by separatist movements has killed more than 7,800 people since violence flared in 2004.
Confined mostly to Thailand’s deep south, the violence has rarely intruded into the idyllic beaches and glimmering temples that make the country one of the world’s top destinations for millions of tourists each year.
But it has long shaped life in these rural provinces, dotted with rubber plantations and fishing communities, and the recent spate of attacks has heightened fear and mistrust, even as Bangkok seeks to revive peace talks.
The latest targets included government buildings, businesses and convenience stores, vehicles and utility poles, while an explosion damaged railway tracks and disrupted train services.
CONTROVERSIAL SHOOTING
Two hours after the office was torched, Solae Doloh and his three friends were riding back home from a camping trip along a nearby road when they suddenly came under fire.
Solae said he was hit in the stomach by gunfire that appeared to come from a military helicopter circling overhead – an account backed by another witness and a village headman who was in the area.
“I stopped my motorcycle and lifted both my arms,” said Solae, 21, speaking with a bandage over his stomach.
“They shot us in the first round, but didn’t hit anyone. After we went on, they came around to the front and shot at us again.”
The Thai military has vehemently denied that its troops fired from the helicopter. A regional commander told reporters that the aircraft was surveying the area.
Village headman Nuseng Lateh, 61, said he recognised the group as they passed by the burning office before the shooting, adding that they had previously gone through a security checkpoint, where no weapons had been found on them.
Police are investigating the shooting, and local lawmakers and community representatives have also called for an independent inquiry to determine how Solae was shot.
“Deep down, I hope we will receive justice but I’m afraid they will accuse us of being insurgents,” said Hasan Toema, 27, one of Solae’s friends.
Despite living through repeated bouts of violence, the shooting has deepened a sense of insecurity among some residents, including Solae’s older brother, Matohae Doalo.
“I don’t want to go out anywhere alone,” the 27-year-old said. “This happened to my brother, so I am afraid it will happen to me, too.”
VIOLENCE OVER DECADES
Since the middle of the last century, separatist groups have fought against the Thai government in three predominantly Malay-Muslim provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat that were once part of the independent Malay sultanate of Patani.
Peace talks between the Thai government and insurgent groups to end one of Southeast Asia’s long-running conflicts began under Malaysian facilitation in 2013 but have repeatedly stalled, yielding little tangible progress.
The weekend attacks came as Thailand sought to revive talks with the Barisan Revolusi Nasional, the main separatist group fighting in the region.
Bangkok’s chief negotiator Thanut Suvarnananda told Reuters this month that the Thai government wanted to move beyond trading concessions for reducing violence and instead address underlying political grievances.
Thanut declined to comment and the BRN did not respond to questions from Reuters.
In a previous round of violence on July 22, when suspected insurgents killed five paramilitary rangers and wounded six civilians, 10-year-old Habib was playing outside his home, next to a military checkpoint.
A stray bullet during an exchange of fire passed through his leg, fortunately without striking any major arteries or bones, but covered his limb in blood, his mother, Na, said.
More than a month later, Habib becomes anxious when he sees soldiers or large groups of people and struggles to sleep, said Na, giving only one name.
“I feel frightened by what happened,” she said.
“I worry about how we are supposed to continue living because incidents occur every day.”
(Editing by Devjyot Ghoshal and Kim Coghill)
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