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Residents Struggle to
Find Peace in Southern Thailand
Security forces killed 30 insurgents who took refuge in a Narathiwat mosque
in April last year. The insurgents were suspected of having taken part in a wave
of attacks that day.
A year ago, troops killed six men at a protest rally and then 78 others
perished after being crammed into trucks for transportation to detention
centers.
There is a tit-for-tat rhythm to the violence. A drive-by shooting in
Narathiwat last month left two Muslim villagers dead and four wounded. Local
residents then took hostage two marines sent to the scene to investigate.
Rumors - spread by insurgents - blamed the marines for the shooting. After
unsuccessful negotiations between the villagers and the security forces, youths
linked to the separatists killed the two bound and gagged men.
Analysts say the aim was to provoke the Thai military and further
escalate
tensions.
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