February 14, 2005

Couple shot on way to rubber plantation

Outpost set on fire, volunteers unhurt

 Narathiwat _ A village headman and his wife setting out to tap rubber at a

plantation were wounded by a gunman on a motorcycle in tambon Marue Bo-ok of

Cho Airong district yesterday.

 Police found Manase Sama-ae, 38, and his wife Rokeeya, 41, lying in a pool

of blood on Charusathien road next to their motorcycle.

 Mr Manase was shot three times in the neck, chest and right shoulder. Mrs

Rokeeya suffered a broken leg when the couple's motorcycle fell on her. They

were taken to hospital. Mr Manase was reported to be in serious condition.

 Mrs Rokeeya said they were heading off to tap latex in the early hours when

two men on a motorcycle cut in front of them. The pillion rider pulled out a

gun and fired at them before speeding away.

 Police believe separatist insurgents were behind the attack.

 Earlier, an outpost manned by community defence volunteers in Bacho

district was set ablaze by two people on a motorcycle. The attackers threw

Molotov cocktails at the volunteers but missed. The fire burned down the

outpost.

 Meanwhile, police say they have found a circuit panel which may belong to a

mobile phone used to detonate a bomb at Video Compact Disc shop in downtown

Yala at the weekend. The circuit panel was found among the debris.

 Police believe at least four people were involved in the attack. The shop

owner was shot dead first to lure police to the scene. A bomb planted inside

a water cooler was then set off by remote control.

 The blast killed Pol Lance Corporal Sompong Prikdam and critically wounded

three other officers. Twenty-four onlookers were also injured.

 In Raman district, a group of men went into a plantation owned by Sawad

Bunsanong and cut down more than 100 mature rubber trees. Damage was being

assessed.

 Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, meanwhile, has promised another security

review in the South in light of the post-election flare-up.

 He is to chair a security meeting today to overhaul strategies to keep the

insurgency from getting out of hand.

 Mr Thaksin plans to visit the deep South on Wednesday and will spend the

night there.