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200 Arsonists Hit 52 Mobile Phone Towers


sriracha john

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Channel News Asia:

YALA, Thailand : Some 200 militants set dozens of telephone towers ablaze overnight in Thailand's Muslim-majority south, in attacks officials said Thursday could be reprisals for government restrictions on cell phones in the region.

"There were more than 50 arson attacks in four provinces, but no one died," the regional police commander, Lieutenent General Adul Seangsingkaeo told reporters.

"The attacks involve more than 200 teenaged militants," he added.

The militants threw petrol bombs at mobile phone relay towers and phone booths.

"Last night's attacks aimed to incite more unrest and to show that the militants are still capable" of staging coordinated raids, Prime Minister Thaksin said.

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People's Daily:

Violence has swept through the deep South of Thailand as militants Wednesday set fires on 52 mobile signal towers across four southernmost provinces and launched attacks that killed a policeman and injured two teachers and three soldiers.

The mobile communication in some southern districts has not resumed by Thursday.

A total of 52 mobile signal towers were set on fire by unidentified militants in provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat, Songkhla and Yala, a military source told Xinhua.

The attacks followed an announcement by the Thai Information and Communications Technology Ministry seeking cooperation from Kuala Lumpur to prevent militants using pre-paid SIM cards from Malaysia to detonate bombs in the South.

Representatives of Thai and Malaysian mobile phone regulators and operators concluded a three-day meeting in Nong Khai Wednesday on cooperating with the request to keep cell phone signals within Malaysia' borders.

But readjusting signal strength has yet to begin and militants used the opportunity to go on a rampage, targeting mobile phone transmission facilities in the four southernmost provinces.

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This rule about having to register your pre-paid sim-card to prevent bombing is a load of crap.

My wife has just bought a new sim-card but was given 7 days in which to register it. She can use it for seven days unregistered before it gets cut off.

So how will this help stop the bombing? TiT

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This is becoming an unmanageable and untennable situation.

How on earth with so much Police and military precence down there can this be allowed to happen?

On Wednesday I was in Don Muang Airport at the Nok Air check in counter. My line was going to Chaing Mai, the line next to me was going to Hat Yai, and I could not help but say to myself "Rather You than Me"

Shame that isn't it?

TP

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DPM CHIDCHAI ORDERED A READJUSTMENT OF INTELLIGENCE IN THE SOUTH, FOLLOWING ATTACKS.

Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Chidchai Wannasatit (ชิดชัย วรรณสถิตย์) ordered a readjustment of intelligence in the southern region, after 53 arson attacks took place.

Police General Chidchai said that the militants were attempting to create a situation in the outer areas of the three southernmost provinces, which were easier targets for attacks. He said that the Information and Communications Technology Ministry and the National Security Council have been coordinated to follow the impacts from the attacks. He said that the attacks have indicated that the officials are still lacking in terms of intelligence service, as they did not know that the insurgents would launch attacks. He said that the intelligence service of the officials will be improved to increase unity and speed.

As for the hunt on insurgents in the south, especially those beheading a teacher of Thammawittaya (ธรรมวิทยา) foundation school, Police General Chidchai said that the people have been more cooperative with the authorities and help the officials arrest the suspects. He said that the 2 detained Islamic teachers have been questioned, adding that he believed the information from them will lead to the mastermind of the attacks.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 20 January 2006

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This is becoming an unmanageable and untennable situation.

How on earth with so much Police and military precence down there can this be allowed to happen?

On Wednesday I was in Don Muang Airport at the Nok Air check in counter. My line was going to Chaing Mai, the line next to me was going to Hat Yai, and I could not help but say to myself "Rather You than Me"

Shame that isn't it?

TP

I keep it in perspective, Toronto is much more violent, Hat Yai is much warmer :o

cv

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ARMY CHIEF AFFIRMED THAT ATTACKS ON MOBILE PHONE SIGNAL TOWERS WOULD NOT AFFECT OFFICIALS' WORKS IN THE SOUTH

Army Commander-in-Chief Sonthi Boonyaratkalin (สนธิ บุญยรัตกลิน) has affirmed that the sabotage of mobile phone signal towers in the deep south by insurgents would not affect security works. In the meantime 8 suspects have been apprehended so far from the multiple attacks on Wednesday night.

General Sonthi said security works in the Deep South will not be affected by the attack on mobile phone signal towers, as officials were already equipped with the military's communication system. He also turned down rumors that insurgents were plotting to rob a bank, saying that a large number of people would be required for such scheme and banks already had strict security measures. The Army chief said that the arson attacks at 53 spots in the 3 southern border provinces and parts of Songkhla had resulted from officials having put too much emphasis on their bases, thus creating loopholes in outlying areas.

Meanwhile Interior Minister Kongsak Wanthana (คงศักดิ์ วันทนา) disclosed that up until now 8 suspects have been apprehended for the multiple arson attacks and they are under interrogation.

There have also been reports that this morning insurgents tried to bomb a mobile phone signal lower in Su Ngai Padi (สุไหงดี) district in Narathiwat but ended up exploding the bomb on them. One insurgent was reported dead from the incident.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 20 January 2006

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This is becoming an unmanageable and untennable situation.

How on earth with so much Police and military precence down there can this be allowed to happen?

On Wednesday I was in Don Muang Airport at the Nok Air check in counter. My line was going to Chaing Mai, the line next to me was going to Hat Yai, and I could not help but say to myself "Rather You than Me"

Shame that isn't it?

TP

I keep it in perspective, Toronto is much more violent, Hat Yai is much warmer :D

cv

Toronto also has "The Landing strip", but I didn't hear of any beheadings when I was there... :o

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Toronto also has "The Landing strip", but I didn't hear of any beheadings when I was there... :o

No, just gunfights in the middle of xmas shopping crowds, drive by shootings at the funerals of other drive by shooting victims....

No matter if you're beheaded, shot, or drowned in a big vat of spagetti sauce, the outcome is the same, though some are more dramatic and/or funny than others.

cv

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All that effort to register the phones, now the phone network has gone.

Wonderful!!

How will they set off the bombs now? :o

Isn't this what you call shooting yourself in the foot :D

No problem.... just use Malaysian phones (there's also a whole host of other options as well to use against the ill-conceived governmental idea that somehow registering phones would stop the bombings).

Also, as the Molotov cocktails of 2 days ago didn't provide enough damage, they've moved up to 5 kilogram bombs yesterday:

Bomb blast near mobile phone tower

Published on Jan 20 , 2006

A bomb exploded near a mobile phone tower Friday, killing one person, police said, in the latest attack aimed at disrupting cellular phone industry in the southern provinces.

The 5-kilogram bomb Friday was planted near the base of an antenna belonging to DTAC, the country's second-largest service provider. The explosion was apparently triggered by a phone with a Malaysian number, said Lt. Nethiwut Deekhaew of the Sungai Padi police station in Narathiwat.

Investigators found a shattered (Nokia) mobile phone and a SIM card from Malaysia,'' he said.

The explosion came after suspected Muslim militants on Wednesday burned more than 50 mobile phone transmissions stations and antennas in four southern border provinces.

(anyone else notice that the previously described Southern provinces as Three has expanded to Four now with Songkhla joining in?)

Edited by sriracha john
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This is becoming an unmanageable and untennable situation.

How on earth with so much Police and military precence down there can this be allowed to happen?

One can really be perplexed how it could happen because it was EXPECTED... but yet, it STILL occured:

Thaksin: Arson across South just a predictable rebel tactic

The latest attacks on communication networks in the deep South are nothing but predictable tactics by insurgents to show off their strength and shake the morale of officials and locals, said Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Mr Thaksin said southern rebels had tried to reinforce the impression that they still posed a threat by setting fire to many locations across Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and Songkhla.

''The insurgents are convincing their sympathisers that they still have the power [to fight against the state]. At the same time, they also want to rattle the nerves of officials and residents,'' the prime minister said.

(one could say they've easily achieved their goal.... more than can be said for most of the "goals" you've set, "Dr." T)

Edited by sriracha john
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One can really be perplexed how it could happen because it was EXPECTED... but yet, it STILL occured:

Thaksin: Arson across South just a predictable rebel tactic

The latest attacks on communication networks in the deep South are nothing but predictable tactics by insurgents to show off their strength and shake the morale of officials and locals, said Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thailand admits to intelligence failure

Thailand’s justice minister has criticised the country’s intelligence agencies for failing to anticipate the latest surge in militant violence.

=============================================

One could easily see how the Justice Minister's statement could be construed as a back-handed insult of the Prime Minister....

hahahaha... :o

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Toronto also has "The Landing strip", but I didn't hear of any beheadings when I was there... :o

No, just gunfights in the middle of xmas shopping crowds, drive by shootings at the funerals of other drive by shooting victims....

No matter if you're beheaded, shot, or drowned in a big vat of spagetti sauce, the outcome is the same, though some are more dramatic and/or funny than others.

cv

Bet you 10 clams that on ratio you're more likley to get nailed down the south of Thailand than get clipped in Toronto.

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Toronto also has "The Landing strip", but I didn't hear of any beheadings when I was there... :o

No, just gunfights in the middle of xmas shopping crowds, drive by shootings at the funerals of other drive by shooting victims....

No matter if you're beheaded, shot, or drowned in a big vat of spagetti sauce, the outcome is the same, though some are more dramatic and/or funny than others.

cv

Bet you 10 clams that on ratio you're more likley to get nailed down the south of Thailand than get clipped in Toronto.

The ratio is particularly crucial in light of the populations involved.

Yala 473,712

Pattani 638,177

Narathiwat 714,976

Toronto metropolitan: 5,304,600

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