Thailand to close all 944 schools in south

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

2006/11/28

BANGKOK, AFP

Thailand will close all 944 public schools indefinitely in the country's restive Muslim-majority south after a string of arsons and shootings that left two teachers dead, an official said Monday.

"We have made a decision because we are worried about our own safety and our lives," said Boonsom Thongsriplai, the chairman of the Teachers Federation of Pattani, one of three insurgency-torn southern provinces bordering Malaysia.

All 944 public schools, ranging from elementary to high schools, in the three provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala would be closed from Tuesday, Boonsom said.

Out of 944, all 336 schools in Pattani and 100 in Yala were already closed, he said.

The school closure was due to a wave of arson attacks against school buildings, as well as shootings that killed two Buddhist school teachers last week.

In Pattani, suspected Islamic militants gunned down a 48 year-old school director inside his parked car then set fire to the bullet-riddled vehicle, the federation said.

The victim was the 60th teacher killed during three years of unrest in the south, where more than 1,600 people have been killed in the almost daily violence since January 2004.

Since taking office after the September coup, army-installed premier Surayud Chulanont has offered a number of olive branches, including an offer to hold talks with militants, in a bid to bring peace to the troubled region.

But the violence has spiralled since then, with bombings, arsons and shootings happening every day.

The Muslim-majority area was an independent sultanate annexed by mainly Buddhist Thailand in 1902. Separatist violence has erupted periodically ever since.

The latest unrest has been variously blamed on ethnic Malay separatists, Islamic extremists and criminal gangs.

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/asiapacific/de...96278&GRP=C

[mRx 16]

dont those friggin extremists have any bounderies??? Burning schools?!? I cant imagine how many thousands of children will suffer growing up without an education due to those ######## ###### ####!!!!!!!

[jordanianprincess 0]

Very sad indeed.

[patricks 0]

Scary,

Following a peaceful military coup......

and

Why did www dot stickmanbangkok dot com

stop updating his web site? (maybe political too?)

just curious

[mRx 16]

Why did www dot stickmanbangkok dot com

stop updating his web site? (maybe political too?)

just curious

heres why

http://www.notstickmanbangkok.com/

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I found this comment when looking up info on malay separatists...

The insurgency will not stop until the Thai Government and Thai people can tell 'AUTONOMY/MULTICULTURALISM' from 'SEPARATISM'.

Thailand today is an amalgam of various ancient states such as Lanna Thai of the North, the Lanchang of the Northeast, the Ayudhya of the Central plain, the Nakorn Sri Thammaraj of the South, and the Pattani in the Deep South.

All states except Pattani had their own cultures, which were related closely to Ayudhya, which is nowadays centered in Bangkok and Central Plain. Consequently, they were able to assimilate or be assimilated more easily. But not Pattani, a Malay tribe which has nothing in common with the Thais.

We must stop thinking that the Central Plain represents the true 'Thainess'. Stop asking why people in the North, South or Northeast can't speak Central Plain language or dialect.

http://www.bearpit.net/lofiversion/index.php/t597.html

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Scary,

Following a peaceful military coup......

and

Why did www dot stickmanbangkok dot com

stop updating his web site? (maybe political too?)

just curious

Why would you not post www.stickmanbangkok.com ? Just curious.

http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/

I found this comment when looking up info on malay separatists...

The insurgency will not stop until the Thai Government and Thai people can tell 'AUTONOMY/MULTICULTURALISM' from 'SEPARATISM'.

Thailand today is an amalgam of various ancient states such as Lanna Thai of the North, the Lanchang of the Northeast, the Ayudhya of the Central plain, the Nakorn Sri Thammaraj of the South, and the Pattani in the Deep South.

All states except Pattani had their own cultures, which were related closely to Ayudhya, which is nowadays centered in Bangkok and Central Plain. Consequently, they were able to assimilate or be assimilated more easily. But not Pattani, a Malay tribe which has nothing in common with the Thais.

We must stop thinking that the Central Plain represents the true 'Thainess'. Stop asking why people in the North, South or Northeast can't speak Central Plain language or dialect.

http://www.bearpit.net/lofiversion/index.php/t597.html

That justifies killing school teachers and Buddhist monks. You've convinced me Steven.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Scary,

Following a peaceful military coup......

and

Why did www dot stickmanbangkok dot com

stop updating his web site? (maybe political too?)

just curious

Why would you not post www.stickmanbangkok.com ? Just curious.

http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/

I found this comment when looking up info on malay separatists...

The insurgency will not stop until the Thai Government and Thai people can tell 'AUTONOMY/MULTICULTURALISM' from 'SEPARATISM'.

Thailand today is an amalgam of various ancient states such as Lanna Thai of the North, the Lanchang of the Northeast, the Ayudhya of the Central plain, the Nakorn Sri Thammaraj of the South, and the Pattani in the Deep South.

All states except Pattani had their own cultures, which were related closely to Ayudhya, which is nowadays centered in Bangkok and Central Plain. Consequently, they were able to assimilate or be assimilated more easily. But not Pattani, a Malay tribe which has nothing in common with the Thais.

We must stop thinking that the Central Plain represents the true 'Thainess'. Stop asking why people in the North, South or Northeast can't speak Central Plain language or dialect.

http://www.bearpit.net/lofiversion/index.php/t597.html

That justifies killing school teachers and Buddhist monks. You've convinced me Steven.

I'm not endorsing what that person said. I'm claiming ignorance as I know very little about Thailand. I just thought it was revealing as to the mindset of some people regarding the problems. Is it motivated by religious differences, or because of ethnic differences? Is it because the government has been has been receptive in allowing muliticulturalism without encouraging assimilation? Many countries seem to get into this same problem.