One more killed in south Thailand, govt plans tough tactics

Bangkok, Mar 5 (UNI) Suspected Islamic militants shot dead a rubber plantation worker and injured a married couple in simultaneous drive-by attacks in the southern Thailand border province of Yala this morning.

The victims, on motorcycle, were on their way to work on rubber farms.

The attacks follow last week's similar killing of two female university students in the troubled region where more than 2,000 people have died in separatist attacks in the past three years.

With no let-up in the violence in Thailand's Muslim-majority provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani bordering Malaysia, the military coup-installed civilian government in Bangkok is now talking of using tough tactics.

Thai Defence Minister Boonrawd Somtas said separatist violence was spiralling because security forces were being too defensive.

''The reconciliation signals we have been sending out were ill-received. We have made little progress because we stuck with defensive tactics. We need to play it the hard way. From now on, we will seek access to the grassroots and strengthen local communities,'' he said.

The minister was commenting yesterday following an earlier visit to Pattani. He also expressed concern over the alarming spread of illegal narcotics in the southern region, which he said was worsening the violence.

UNI