ID :
41445
Mon, 01/19/2009 - 11:32
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/41445
The shortlink copeid
SOUTHERN UNREST COST THAI TAXPAYERS BT109 BILLION By D. Arul Rajoo
BANGKOK, Jan 19 (Bernama) -- The five-year insurgency in Southern Thailand has killed close to 3,300 people, with the Government forced to fork out almost Bt109 billion to fight the violence, independent researchers in the south said.
The Deep South Watch estimated that taxpayers had to pay an average of Bt88
million just to quell one violent incident.
The Nation daily quoted Assistant Professor Srisomphob Jitrphiromsri as
saying that the Buddhists-majority country may have to spend about Bt300 billion
annually in the next five to 10 years to address the conflict in the
Muslim-predominant provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala.
He told a seminar held in Hatyai Sunday that an average of 1,956 violent
incidents took place every year since insurgent groups resumed their campaign
in January, 2004 to seek independence for the three provinces.
He said the conflict had already taken 3,287 lives and left 5,405 people
wounded, adding that there were 718 incidents in 2008, down by more than 50 per
cent from the 1,861 recorded in 2007.
Bangkok has despatched over 20,000 troops to the restive region but
struggled to end the conflict as insurgents used guerilla tactics and roadside
bombs to launch attacks.
The statistics compiled by the Deep South Watch showed that 1,788 Muslims
and 1,348 Buddhists died in the conflict while 3,224 Buddhists and 1,633 Muslims
were injured.
The violence in the three provinces which are home to 1.8 million people has
also affected the number of Buddhists living there, with an estimated 70,000 of
the 300,000 Buddhists there already fleeing the conflict zone.
Prasit Methsuwan, adviser to the Federation of Teachers from the Southern
Border, said that as the number of incidents had declined, Thai Buddhists
living in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat had also quickly dwindled.
"In that sense, the insurgents have succeeded in embedding a climate of fear
in those provinces," he said.
Prime Minister Abihist Vejjajiva, who visited Yala on Saturday, had said
that the government would set up a new agency to address the problem, as well as
investigating issues of torture and human rights abuses by state agencies.
(US$1=Bt35)
-- BERNAMA
The Deep South Watch estimated that taxpayers had to pay an average of Bt88
million just to quell one violent incident.
The Nation daily quoted Assistant Professor Srisomphob Jitrphiromsri as
saying that the Buddhists-majority country may have to spend about Bt300 billion
annually in the next five to 10 years to address the conflict in the
Muslim-predominant provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala.
He told a seminar held in Hatyai Sunday that an average of 1,956 violent
incidents took place every year since insurgent groups resumed their campaign
in January, 2004 to seek independence for the three provinces.
He said the conflict had already taken 3,287 lives and left 5,405 people
wounded, adding that there were 718 incidents in 2008, down by more than 50 per
cent from the 1,861 recorded in 2007.
Bangkok has despatched over 20,000 troops to the restive region but
struggled to end the conflict as insurgents used guerilla tactics and roadside
bombs to launch attacks.
The statistics compiled by the Deep South Watch showed that 1,788 Muslims
and 1,348 Buddhists died in the conflict while 3,224 Buddhists and 1,633 Muslims
were injured.
The violence in the three provinces which are home to 1.8 million people has
also affected the number of Buddhists living there, with an estimated 70,000 of
the 300,000 Buddhists there already fleeing the conflict zone.
Prasit Methsuwan, adviser to the Federation of Teachers from the Southern
Border, said that as the number of incidents had declined, Thai Buddhists
living in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat had also quickly dwindled.
"In that sense, the insurgents have succeeded in embedding a climate of fear
in those provinces," he said.
Prime Minister Abihist Vejjajiva, who visited Yala on Saturday, had said
that the government would set up a new agency to address the problem, as well as
investigating issues of torture and human rights abuses by state agencies.
(US$1=Bt35)
-- BERNAMA
