SOUTHERN VIOLENCE
ASSAWIN PAKKAWAN, WAEDAO HARAI & ABDULLOH BENJAKAT
People fearing violence in the southern border region have been resettling in the relatively peaceful Phatthalung, another southern province, an intelligence source said yesterday.
The source said many people had fled their homes in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat and had resettled in Phatthalung where they have started finding work.
Some stay with relatives to escape the unrest.
Most of the newcomers have moved to Pa Bon, Tamot and Bang Kaew districts.
The source said there are concerns insurgents could also start moving to Phatthalung and start setting up training camps there.
But a source at a provincial disaster mitigation organisation said there had been no reports of any mass resettlement of people from the border provinces.
Meanwhile, Pranai Suwannarat, the director of the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre (SBPAC), approved projects under the "happy living" policy to improve the quality of life in the deep South.
The projects ranged from agricultural development to an increase in volunteer rangers at 300 villages.
The violence continued yesterday in Narathiwat, where 18 people suffered shrapnel wounds when a bomb exploded at a fresh market in Muang district.
Police said the bomb was detonated at about 9am while people were shopping at the market.
Two soldiers who were buying food at the time were among the 18 wounded.
Police said a five-kilogramme homemade bomb was detonated by a mobile phone.
It was hidden in a motorcycle which was parked close to the market.
Witnesses said a teenager was seen parking the motorcycle earlier.
In Pattani, a school teacher was gunned down in Yarang district yesterday.
Police said Akom Suwanwong, 53, was shot twice in the head by a pillion passenger on a motorcycle while on his way to work at a nearby school.
His 9mm pistol was taken by his killers.
In the wake of the market bombing in Narathiwat, security in Yala was stepped up and provincial police ordered all police stations to monitor vehicles which could be used to carry out attacks.
The vehicles in question were four motorcycles with fake number plates, a sedan and a pickup truck.
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