Soldiers killed in South as peace talks start

Three rangers were killed and five others wounded, two seriously, by a bomb explosion in Narathiwat's Cho Airong district early on Thursday, as peace talks began between the Thai government and representatives of separatist groups in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Lt-Gen Udomchai Thammasaroraj, the 4th Army commander, said he believed the attack was intended to disrupt the peace-making process.
"We suspect this was the work of local militants who want to discredit the peace talks under way in Kuala Lumpur," he said.

Three rangers were killed and five others hurt in a roadside bombing in Narathiwat early Thursday. (Photo by Waedao Harai)

The talks began between a 15-member Thai delegation and representatives of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) and several other insurgent groups. 
The explosion occurred about 7am, before the talks got under way, on a road along the railway between Cho Airong and Bukit at Ban Cho Kroh in tambon Bukit, about 900m from the Cho Airong district police station.
It devastated a joint team of 12 rangers from Ranger Companies 4810 and 4903, which was patrolling from their base at a temple in Cho Airong district town.
The 25kg bomb, inside a gas cylinder, was planted near a power pole and was detonated remotely.
Two rangers died immediately, Thirachat Sinamngern and Pornchai Pho-ngern, and six others were wounded.  One of the injured, Sangkhom Muanghung, died on the way to hospital, police said.
The five other wounded rangers were admitted to Narathiwat Ratchanakarin Hospital.  They are Anan Srisuk, Kitti Komal, Burapa Noensai, Bung Wongyai and Tawatchai Khamneo, the patrol leader.
The  attack took place near Ban Cho Kroh, the home village of Masae Useng, a wanted separatist leader with a bounty of 5 million baht on his head.
National Security Council secretary general Paradorn Pattannathabutr, who heads the Thai delegation, expressed confidence in Kuala Lumpur that the violence would eventually decline as the peace talk process went ahead.
"We want to reduce the violence in the area,” he told reporters before the start of the negotiations in Kuala Lumpur.
“I see  the BRN  as the largest and most influential group behind the unrest. So, after the talks, the BRN can spread the word to their fighters, and then we will see a concrete result.
"I am confident that they will communicate our message to their militants, but because BRN is a large organisation, we have to give them some time," Lt-Gen Paradorn said.
Ahmad Zamzamin, a former senior aide to Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, was facilitating the first round of talks in the Malaysian capital between Thai security officials and BRN representatives.
More than 5,300 people have been killed in the conflict in the majority-Muslim provinces in Thailand, which are under emergency law.
Rebels have carried out shootings and bombings against monks, teachers and village officials as symbols of the majority-Buddhist state

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