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Thailand pours troops into restive southern region

Thailand poured troops into its Muslim-dominated south to guard against retaliatory attacks yesterday as grieving families buried their dead after the army and police killed more than 100 suspected Islamic militants.

Human rights groups and Muslim preachers condemned Wednesday's killings, and accused security personnel of responding with excessive force to attacks by poorly armed mobs, mainly teenagers.

Others warned that a cycle of separatist violence would only escalate.

"It is the beginning of the people's war," prominent cleric Vithaya Visetrat told reporters.

The US and neighboring Malaysia expressed concern, as the Thai parliament went into a rare closed session after the opposition demanded the government explain how the violence erupted.

The death toll from Wednesday's fighting rose to 113 after a suspected Islamic fighter died of his wounds, bringing to 108 the number of militants killed, officials said. Only three police officers and two soldiers died.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has defended the actions of the security forces, and two senior Cabinet ministers played down reports that the militant mobs were armed only with machetes, saying several fired automatic weapons as they led the others into battle.

In a rubber plantation village in Songkhla province, wailing mothers and fathers buried 18 men together in an Islamic graveyard yesterday, not far from the dirt field where they used to play soccer. All had been shot by police, apparently after they attacked a security checkpoint.

"I am in shock," said Hayee Cheh, 44, a rubber farmer, whose 18-year-old son was among those killed. "He loved to play soccer. He only played soccer."

Defense Minister Chettha Than-ajaro said militants who survived bloody clashes could be "waiting for the right time for revenge" and might launch "second and third waves" of attacks.

The minister sent two additional battalions to Thailand's southern provinces. However, facing accusations of brutality, the government took away the command of a top general who used rocket-propelled grenades to attack a mosque, killing 32 people -- some of them allegedly unarmed civilians.

"Killing people in a holy place -- in a mosque, in a monastery or in a church -- is unacceptable. And I do believe that several innocent worshippers were among the dead," preacher Vithaya said.

Frightened and angry residents of the region said some innocent civilians were caught up in the mayhem when security forces opened fire on militants when they raided police and army posts in a bid to steal weapons.

The government forces had been tipped off about the attacks in Yala, Pattani and Songkhla provinces and were lying in wait with overwhelming firepower ahead of the dawn attacks.

Chettha said each group of attackers was made up of about 20 young men, led by a commander in his mid-30s.

"The leaders used AK-47 rifles, M-16 assault rifles to open the way for their men, who used only machetes," he said.

Thai newspapers described suicide-like attacks by small groups of men in black shirts and camouflage pants.
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