Thailand: No One To Talk To

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January25, 2007: Government attempts to get any of the Islamic terrorists in the south to even negotiate, have failed. The local cell leaders appear to be under orders to keep quiet, and whoever is in overall all control of the terrorist campaign is laying low. In response to this, the government has offered to expand the use of Sharia (Islamic law) in the south. There has long been some Sharia used down there, mainly for family matters. But expanding Sharia might get some of the senior Moslem clerics to cooperate in opening a communications channel with the Islamic terrorists. Currently, 3-4 people a day are being killed down south by Islamic terrorists.

January 24, 2007:In the south, more remotely controlled bombs are being used, rather than two guys driving by on a motorcycle and shooting with pistols.

January 20, 2007:The police have made a breakthrough in their investigation of the New Years Eve bombing. The police now are searching for about a dozen suspects, including several military officers and lower ranking troops. From the beginning, it was thought that the New Years Eve attack had nothing to do with the Islamic terrorists down south, and more to do with supporters of the ousted prime minister. No one ever claimed responsibility for the bombings, and Islamic groups denied any involvement. The former prime minister had the support of most Thais, but not of the middle and upper classes, who basically staged a coup. Now the coup leaders are losing popular support fast, and see the ousted prime minister coming back and getting re-elected.

January 15, 2007:Violence in the south is getting worse. There were 186 Islamic terrorist attacks down there in December, resulting in 170 deaths. In the last three years, Islamic terrorists in the south have killed 64 teachers, and the violence down there has left nearly two thousand people dead. But at the current rate, the death rate would more than triple over the next three years.

 

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