December 3, 2004

Teacher killed, another hurt in gun attack

A teacher was shot dead and his colleague wounded in a gun attack in Pattani's Sai Buri district yesterday.

Chalermpong Muakchumbok , 42, and Charan Kanchanarangsri , 47, of Ban Makor School were attacked in tambon Kalunang around 4.15pm while on their way home. Two teenagers opened fire on their car. Chalermpong, who was the driver, was hit in the right shoulder and body and died instantly. Mr Charan was hit in the right arm.

In Narathiwat province, Deputy Education Minister Aree Wong-araya yesterday visited a teacher who was seriously wounded in a gun attack on Wednesday.

Mr Aree also gave financial aid to Areepeng Maewaeding, 50, a teacher of Ban Tehteetae School in Muang district.

The attack prompted provincial authorities to order police to set up checkpoints in front of all schools in the province.

Meanwhile, posters showing arrest warrants for 22 wanted militants and cash rewards for their capture have been sent to all security units and checkpoints in the deep South.

The 22 are believed to have organised much of the southern violence, which started with a raid on an army camp in Narathiwat in January and the theft of hundreds of firearms.

The state is offering rewards for five men wanted for the Jan 4 attack on the army camp in Narathiwat.

The highest reward, three million baht, is offered for the arrest of Masae Useng. Bounties of one million baht each are offered for the capture of Wae-aree Copter Aji and Soree Saeseng, and 200,000 baht each for Yusof Tohruenoh and Doromae Lohmae.

Rewards of 300,000 baht each are offered for Abdul Kama, suspected of a motorcycle bombing in front of a Pattani shop on Jan 5, Annungwa Kasor, suspected of killing Pattani judge Rapin Ruankaew on Sept 16, and Bueraheng Mama and Sakkareeya Tohtayong, who allegedly murdered Dusadeeboon Ritthisunthorn, a student at Prince of Songkhla University's Pattani campus on Oct 9. Other suspects are accused of belonging to separatist groups and rewards offered for them range from 500,000 baht each to one million baht.