Guest Posted April 1, 2004 Report Share Posted April 1, 2004 from CNN 2004-03-31 BANGKOK, Thailand -- The theft of a large stash of explosive material by suspected Islamic insurgents has sparked a terror alert in southern Thailand. A group of about 10 men broke into a rock quarrying factory in Yala province on Tuesday, tied up two security guards and took the explosives away in a truck, The Associated Press reported a police official as saying. He said 66 bags, each weighing 50 kilograms (110 pounds), of ammonium nitrate, 58 sticks of dynamite, 170 fuses and other objects were missing. Lt. Gen. Thani Twibsri, the deputy commander of the regional police, said the theft was the work of terrorist groups "who must be planning a major attack and were running short of stock." Three southern provinces have been under martial law since gunmen raided an army camp in Narathiwat in January, killing four soldiers. "[The theft] is the work of the same group of terrorists who have been creating the violence and causing trouble in the area," Deputy Prime Minister Chaturon Chaisang told reporters. "We have to admit that the more the government tries, the more (the violence) escalates." More than 50 people, mostly security officials, have been killed since the January 4 attack. The worst single incident was a weekend bomb attack in Sungai Kolok that wounded at least 28 people. No one has claimed responsibility for setting off the explosives, loaded on a motorcycle. The spate of violence has become Thailand's most serious domestic security crisis since the end of a communist insurgency in the early 1980s. "The locals' greatest fear is about security. Now people are afraid of everyone and they are growing distrustful of the police," Chaturon said. Islamic separatist insurgents are suspected to be behind the unrest, largely the result of disenchantment among the minority Muslims with the Buddhist government and the discrimination they face, experts say. Muslims make up nearly 10 percent of Thailand's 65 million people. Gen. Pallop Pinmanee, deputy chief of the Internal Security Operations Command, told reporters Wednesday there were about 500 separatist insurgents active in the area and that their goal was to become a force of 3,000. "The militants are increasing at an alarming rate. A few years ago they had less than four dozen," he said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 1, 2004 Report Share Posted April 1, 2004 I hope they don't get any ideas from Madrid. On the other hand, watching the Skytrain explode in midair would be awfully spectacular indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2004 Report Share Posted April 2, 2004 Don't give anybody in bright ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2004 Report Share Posted April 2, 2004 a lot closer to Phuket than bkk. Hope they were planning on selling it back rather than using it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2004 Report Share Posted April 2, 2004 MM: If you think they have not already thought of that, I have some prime swampland to sell you in Nakhon Nowhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickfarang Posted April 2, 2004 Report Share Posted April 2, 2004 This is about the same amount of ammonium nitrate that was in that truck bomb in Bali. It may be time to take warnings of the possibility of someone stopping a truck in front of Nana Plaza/Patpong (or Soi Sea Dragon if in Phuket), or any place a lot of people gather for that matter, and throwing a switch. It might bea good idea to minimize one's exposure to these possibly dangerous situations. Especially until that stuff turns up one way or the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2004 Report Share Posted April 2, 2004 Good idea. Goodbye, Star of Light, since a vehicle can drive past it. I'll be frequenting only those BJ Bars that are blocked by the night market, like Star of Love and Rose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2004 Report Share Posted April 2, 2004 Because of this event, I think the Songkran festival THIS YEAR will be the high water mark for terrorism risk and would be surprised if embassies do not issue travel advisories. On the plus side, the authorities know the seriousness of this and will be as prepared as they can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickfarang Posted April 4, 2004 Report Share Posted April 4, 2004 "..would be surprised if embassies do not issue travel advisories." You are right on the mark. The U.S. embassy has issued a Songkran warning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 4, 2004 Report Share Posted April 4, 2004 Quote: "Because of this event, I think the Songkran festival THIS YEAR will be the high water mark for terrorism risk and would be surprised if embassies do not issue travel advisories." Several articles have appearedin both Bangkok papers saying that Songkran may end up being a terrorists field day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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