January 7, 2005

x-army man killed, fruit trees slashed

 Schools in Yala to remain closed

 MUHAMAD AYUB PATHAN

 Yala _ A former soldier was shot dead in Raman district yesterday, as the

killing of security officers continues almost daily in the deep South.

 Chief Warrant Officer Wanchai Khachornkhae, 45, was attacked by two men at

his shop in Balor market around 6.30am. The assailants parked a motorcycle

in front of his shop and one produced a gun and opened fire, hitting Wanchai

in the back, under his arm and in the shoulder. He died on the way to

hospital.

 Wanchai, formerly attached to Thepsatri military camp in Nakhon Si

Thammarat, retired last year under the army's early retirement scheme. He

returned to Yala's Raman district to help his wife sell goods.

 Police were investigating the killing to see it was related to unrest in

the deep South or to a personal conflict.

 The victim's wife had once been married to a Raman police officer who was

shot dead early last year by Muslim militants.

 Also in Yala, armed men raided fruit orchards in Muang district, destroying

more than 180 trees.

 Nongyao Luk-in, 60, told police a group of armed men raided her fruit

orchard in tambon Natam about 9am yesterday. The raiders slashed fruit trees

with knives and poured chemical on them. About 70 of her mangosteen and

longan trees were destroyed.

 At 9.30am on the same day, a fruit orchard in tambon Sateng was raided by

an unknown number of men with chainsaws. They cut down 118 fruit trees,

including durian, longan and mangosteen trees.

 Police believe the raids might have been carried out by separatists wanting

to create unrest.

 Meanwhile, the Yala teachers federation said all schools in education zones

1 and 2 would reopen only when the situation returned to normal.

 Sanya Suwannapho, chairman of the federation, said teachers were uncertain

about their safety as violence still continued in Yala. If the situation

improved, all schools in the two education zones would reopen, he added.