Thai Muslim separatists changing tactics - general
11 May 2007 09:40:03 GMT Source: Reuters http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/BKK21430.htm BANGKOK, May 11 (Reuters) - Separatist militants in Thailand's Muslim-majority far south appear to be changing tactics after criticism by a world Islamic body, army chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin said on Friday. Attacks appeared to be more concentrated on the security forces than on civilians deemed to be on the government's side since the comments by the head of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), he said. "The other side is resorting to a new tactic after their random attacks on both Buddhists and Muslims. After the visit of the OIC chief, who criticised the violence tarnishing their image, they are changing," Sonthi told reporters. Attacks on civilians have continued in the far south -- where more than 2,100 people have been killed in three years of violence -- since OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu spoke in Bangkok last week. But twice in three days, militants have shocked largely Buddhist Thailand with bloody attacks on soldiers. On Wednesday, seven soldiers in a pick-up truck were killed by a roadside bomb, one of the deadliest attacks in the latest separatist war in a largely Malay-speaking region that was an independent sultanate until annexed by Thailand a century ago. On Friday, two policemen were killed at a checkpoint of sandbags and barbed wire by about six militants, police said. The militants, armed with assault rifles and shotguns, arrived at the checkpoint in a pick-up truck, sprayed the policemen with bullets, doused their bodies with gasoline and set them on fire, police said. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
