Eight anti-government banners were found across all three provinces of the deep South Thursday and a ranger was wounded in a gun attack in Narathiwat.
This banner was discovered by residents Thursday morning outside Narathiwat province capital. It was tied to a farmer's fence along the Panason Road in Kok Kien village. (Bangkok Post photo)
Kok Kien police were alerted Thursday morning to a cloth banner bearing a message attacking the Thai government in Muang district of Narathiwat.
The message was written in red ink and the banner was tied to a fence enclosing farmland on Panason Road in tambon Kok Kien.
Authorities removed the banner with caution, fearing a booby trap may have been planted in the area that could be detonated remotely by insurgents hiding nearby.
In three districts of Yala, five banners with similar messages were discovered next to suspicious objects.
Two banners were found in Muang district, two in Than To and another in Bannang Sata district.
Police officers and a bomb disposal team were sent to examine the two banners in Muang district.
The first had been hung from Kampong Bahru Bridge on the Yala-Suan Som road, while the second was suspended from a footbridge in front of Thammawitthaya Mulanithi School.
Two boxes bound with electrical tape were also left at locations where the banners were found.
Inspections revealed they were not explosives and just contained black rubbish bags and rocks, police said.
In Than To district, the banners were discovered on the side of Yala-Betong road and along a road between Ban Than To mosque and Than To Hospital.
There were no details about the banner in Bannang Sata district.
In Pattani province, police received information that insurgents had erected two similar banners in tambon Magrood and tambon Sai Buri in Khok Pho district.
Police believe the banners were erected by insurgent groups after their leaders were killed in recent raids in Yala's Kabang district by security forces.
Col Banpot Poonpien, spokesman of the Internal Security Operation Command, said the campaign showed signs of careful planning.
The messages — written in English on at least some of the banners — were intended to be seen by the international community to create misunderstanding about the government's role in resolving the conflict in the deep South, Col Banpot said.
The banners are illegal propaganda created by people to further their own ideology, he added.
Any misunderstanding by the international community must be corrected, he added.
Meanwhile, Malui Mading, 34, a ranger attached to the 48th Rangers Regiment based in Cho Airong district, was wounded after gunmen opened fire on him in Rangae district of Narathiwat province, early Thursday morning.
Mr Malui was travelling on a motorcycle past Lubo Diyae in tambon Tanyong Limo when he was attacked about 6.15am.
He was later admitted to Rangae Hospital where his condition was described as safe.
A team of rangers led by Col Rungroj Anantho was sent to the area on patrol.
It is believed the attack was by militants operating in Cho Airong and Rangae districts.