Pattani: Women's groups and peace activists in the deep South have called on insurgents to stop attacks on civilians and urged authorities to provide better security and justice for residents.
They made the demands yesterday at a seminar entitled "Breaking the Wall of Silence: Saving the Life of Children and Women".
Nualkhae Sae Lim, 56, said police have yet to identify the insurgents who set her 29-year-old daughter on fire on the afternoon of Feb 12.
"I’ve been praying that Nong Ning should be the last victim of this undeserved violence. But she is not. Only two months after the incident, teachers and administrative officials were killed.
"Had the perpetrators been arrested, there would have been no more victims of the violence from my neighbourhood," said Ms Nualkhae, a primary school teacher in Pattani’s Panare district.
Her daughter worked at Bangkok Bank and was killed five kilometres away from her home on the Yaring-Panare road. There were witnesses to the attack who chose not to get involved.
"At least two motorists saw her on fire and heard her scream for help, but they sped away from the scene, fearing for their lives. I understand that. Who wouldn’t do the same?
"I want this violence to stop now. I want to meet the people behind that vicious act and ask them why they had to do such a thing, why they found it so easy to kill an innocent young woman," Ms Nualkhae said.
According to the Duayjai Group and Cross Cultural Foundation report, 32 women aged between two and 62 were killed and another 60 were injured in the first seven months of the year.
From January, 2004 until October, 2013, 62 children were killed and 374 injured in the deep South conflict.
Former Pattani senator Anusart Suwannamongkol said most victims were decent family people who had nothing to do with the political conflict.
"Any innocent person could easily fall victim to the brutal killings. Why should they be sitting ducks for such violence?" Mr Anusart said.
Angkhana Neelapaijit, chairwoman of the Working Group for Justice and Peace, said victims included farmers, bosses, wives of police officers, pregnant women, disabled women and workers.
These victims suffered many acts of violence, some were shot dead, others were set alight or beheaded.
"These acts are considered evil under the teachings of Islam, but when will they stop? We would like to see justice, not just financial remedies," said Ms Angkhana, who noted that most of the victims were Buddhists.
Pradipat Kulnarong, 24, is one of seven survivors of a Feb 13 shooting in Pattani’s Mae Lan district in which four people were killed during morning alms rounds. He said he has been praying for an end to the violence for a long time.
Mr Pradipat said he had no idea why civilians were targets in the conflict.
He received serious injuries to his eye, mouth and leg during the gun attack, leaving him unable to work.
His family, who are rubber tappers and own a small bakery shop, cannot leave the deep South and he has yet to receive tangible support to secure suitable employment.
Meanwhile, four border patrol police were wounded yesterday, two of them seriously, by a bomb explosion in Pattani's Muang district, police said.
The four were members of Border Patrol Police (BPP) Company 4203 and were travelling on a pickup truck to take over duties from another BPP team at a security checkpoint on the road to Pattani.
While their pickup truck stopped at a red light at the intersection of Highways 42 and 4018 in tambon Rusamilae, a home-made bomb buried in the median strip was detonated remotely.
The attack occurred about 6am. The explosion badly damaged the truck.
Pol Sub-Lt Somjit Rattanapan and Pol Sr Sgt Maj Nantasak Phetkasem were slightly wounded. Pol Sgt Pakphum Chanthornmetha and Pol L/Cpl Sithiporn Sophawong, were seriously injured.