In the midst of Army seized
control of the Thailand's government to push through
reforms after six months of political turmoil, suspected Muslim separatists in southern Thailand launched a string
of gun and bomb attacks on Saturday killing three people and wounding
more than 50, government officials said.
The three southern most provinces of predominantly Buddhist Thailand
are majority Muslim and have been plagued by resistance to central
government rule for decades.
The bombs exploded outside five convenience stores, two petrol
stations and a hotel, officials in the region said. A bomb went off at
an electricity station, cutting power in one district for up to 40
minutes, they said.
Gunmen also opened fire on a navy ship a short distance off-shore, the officials said.
The attacks came two days after the Thai army overthrew the central
government in a coup, but the Muslim separatists’ campaign is not
directly linked to a power struggle in Bangkok that precipitated the
coup.
More than 5,700 people have been killed in the south since January
2004 when the separatists stepped up their campaign. More than 40 have
been killed this year.
The main demands of various shadowy rebel factions behind the
violence is greater autonomy for their poor, long-neglected region on
the border with Muslim-majority Malaysia.
Peace talks with some of the rebels began last year, but have
stalled, largely because authorities in Bangkok have been preoccupied
with the political crisis there.
Source: Reuters.
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