Author:
Publication: The Age
Date: April 11, 2007
URL: http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/thai-buddhist-woman-killed-and-burned/2007/04/11/1175971159708.html
A Buddhist woman was shot dead and her body
set ablaze early today in Thailand's restive Muslim-majority south, police
said, as the country's junta leader began a visit to the region.
Police said the 26-year-old's body was burned
beyond recognition after she was killed while on her way to work on the outskirts
of Yala town.
"It's the work of the same group of militants
who are active in this predominantly Muslim village," they said.
The province of Yala has seen a surge in attacks
this year, with 10 people killed on Monday alone. Four of them were shot dead
while returning from the burial of a bombing victim.
More than 2,000 people have been killed in
three years of unrest in the southern region along the border with Malaysia.
Thailand's junta leader, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin
travelled to nearby Pattani province today for a two-day visit to meet with
Muslim religious leaders as well as local government and military chiefs.
Sonthi told reporters as he arrived in Pattani
that the insurgents' attacks had become more lethal, even as the number of
incidents had fallen.
"The attacks have decreased in number,
but the militants have adjusted their strategies to be more violent and brutal
in order to terrify people," he said.
Sonthi said he feared the Islamic separatists
were trying to spark a broader communal conflict, and urged both Buddhists
and Muslims to work to reduce tensions between the faiths.
"Don't fall into their trap. Villagers
must be patient. The militants want to create a sectarian war," he said.
Sonthi is the first Muslim to head the army
in mainly Buddhist Thailand. After he seized power in a coup in September,
he installed a government that promptly unveiled a raft of peace measures
for the region.
But the violence has escalated, and the government
remains uncertain who exactly is behind the attacks. No one has claimed responsibility
for them or made any specific demands of the government.
