More violence in Thai south, peace hopes fade

Bangkok, Oct 16: Two rubber-tappers and a state electricity worker were killed in Muslim-majority southern Thailand today, the latest victims of nearly three years of violence in which more than 1,700 people have died, police said.

The shootings in Yala, one of the three troubled provinces abutting Malaysia, after four people were murdered in the last four days are likely to dampen hopes of a fall in violence as a result of last month's coup against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

His army-appointed successor, Surayud Chulanont, travels to Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, with diplomats saying he is likely to discuss Malaysia's offer to host peace talks between Bangkok and leaders of the rebellion.

The offer follows the revelation that former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad held a series of talks with insurgent leaders over the last year under a peace drive backed by Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Even though many community leaders in the far south blamed Thaksin for the unrest, his removal has had little impact on the daily cycle of violence in a region where 80 per cent of people are Malay Muslim and do not speak Thai as a first language.

On Friday, police in Pattani were ambushed as they examined the decapitated corpse of a 40-year-old migrant worker from Myanmar. A Thai construction worker was found shot dead in nearby Narathiwat province the same day.

On Saturday, a police officer and a rubber plantation worker were shot dead in separate incidents in Yala and Narathiwat.

REUTERS