Post by bahnoo on Sept 1, 2006 8:11:16 GMT 7
Bombs hit 22 bank branches in Yala
Retired major killed, 24 others badly hurt
POST REPORTERS
Yala _ Near-simultaneous bomb explosions at 22 branches of leading commercial banks in Yala killed at least one person and severely injured 24 others yesterday. Maj Suchart Srithong-on, a retired military officer, was killed while making a transaction at the Kasikornbank branch in Muang district.
Police detained five suspects in connection with the explosions, some of them natives of neighbouring Narathiwat and Pattani provinces.
The blasts hit branches of Siam Commercial Bank, Bangkok Bank, Kasikornbank, Islamic Bank of Thailand, Islamic Krung Thai Bank, Siam City Bank, Thai Military Bank, Bank of Ayudhya, Government Savings Bank and Krung Thai Bank.
Police said men and women dressed like vocational school students carried bombs in books, folders and plastic bags and dropped them on newspaper shelves and bank counters.
Fourth Army chief Ongkorn Thongprasom said none of the bank branches were targeted individually.
The militants wanted to disrupt a financial lifeline and damage the economy in the region in order to worsen the situation, he added.
He believed one mastermind was behind the strikes, which coincided with an expected influx of Malaysians celebrating their country's national day, the anniversary of the founding of the militant Bersatu group, and payday for many people.
Some analysts thought the attacks were aimed at unseating Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, the army chief, who was recently given full powers to pacify the deep South, which has been wracked by violence since a militant raid on an army depot in Narathiwat on Jan 4, 2004.
An anonymous postcard received by the Bangkok Post yesterday called on Gen Sonthi to resign because he had failed to stop the violence.
Speculation was rife that caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was unhappy with Gen Sonthi's performance. There were also rumours that the army chief is trying to befriend Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda in order to save his skin.
Gen Prem recently visited the region and on Aug 26 asked for a solution to the troubles as a birthday present.
Caretaker Defence Minister Thammarak Isarangkura na Ayudhaya said the violence had escalated because militants had forced the state to reverse its previous politics-oriented policy.
Bankers were horrified at the bombings.
''This isn't just a terrorist attack, but a war,'' said Viroj Nualkhair, a former president of Krung Thai Bank.
'' They [the militants] aim to force local residents out of the area by attacking basic infrastructure. If the banks can't operate, it will undermine the entire area,'' he said.
''I don't see any light at the end of the tunnel. Things are getting worse each day,'' he added.
Prasarn Trairatvorakul, president of Kasikornbank, said he was especially disheartened by a report that a customer had been killed while conducting a transaction at its Yala branch.
Kasikornbank closed all seven of its branches in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, but expected to resume normal operations by Monday at the latest.
Tarisa Wattanagase, a Bank of Thailand deputy governor, said no bank had yet sought permission to close any branches in the area permanently.
''Each bank is assessing their operations, and have mostly received assurances that their local staff want to continue work,'' she said.
The Bank of Thailand allowed banks in the region to close yesterday to facilitate maintenance and security upgrades, and to help with the police investigation.
All banks have agreed to reopen on Monday and ensure that ATMs are sufficiently stocked to meet demand.
Paiboon Kasemsutti, president of Yala's Chamber of Commerce, said the attacks would hurt the local economy and said the failure of state agencies to avert the attacks, even though they were forewarned, reflected flaws in their strategies.
A4-sized leaflets were distributed across Yala ahead of the attacks with a message, signed by a militant leader, threatening retaliation against Thai innocents for the government's actions in the South.
Yala's Bank of Ayudhya manager Sub-Lt Nopporn Thammasart said an official received a warning call and employees were evacuated to a strongroom. But the bank failed to alert two customers, who later sustained injuries.
Sutham Wongveera, Yala's Bangkok Bank manager, said money transfers and cash transactions were temporarily suspended, distressing salaried workers and civil servants on payday.
Tawee Piyapattana, chairman of the Southern Federation of Thai Industries, put the blame on the government, which he said had not taken problems seriously, leading to a lack of unity and direction among security forces in the region.
Federation of Trade and Industry chairman Santi Vilassakdanont stressed the need for new elections to be held and a functioning government put in place
Retired major killed, 24 others badly hurt
POST REPORTERS
Yala _ Near-simultaneous bomb explosions at 22 branches of leading commercial banks in Yala killed at least one person and severely injured 24 others yesterday. Maj Suchart Srithong-on, a retired military officer, was killed while making a transaction at the Kasikornbank branch in Muang district.
Police detained five suspects in connection with the explosions, some of them natives of neighbouring Narathiwat and Pattani provinces.
The blasts hit branches of Siam Commercial Bank, Bangkok Bank, Kasikornbank, Islamic Bank of Thailand, Islamic Krung Thai Bank, Siam City Bank, Thai Military Bank, Bank of Ayudhya, Government Savings Bank and Krung Thai Bank.
Police said men and women dressed like vocational school students carried bombs in books, folders and plastic bags and dropped them on newspaper shelves and bank counters.
Fourth Army chief Ongkorn Thongprasom said none of the bank branches were targeted individually.
The militants wanted to disrupt a financial lifeline and damage the economy in the region in order to worsen the situation, he added.
He believed one mastermind was behind the strikes, which coincided with an expected influx of Malaysians celebrating their country's national day, the anniversary of the founding of the militant Bersatu group, and payday for many people.
Some analysts thought the attacks were aimed at unseating Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, the army chief, who was recently given full powers to pacify the deep South, which has been wracked by violence since a militant raid on an army depot in Narathiwat on Jan 4, 2004.
An anonymous postcard received by the Bangkok Post yesterday called on Gen Sonthi to resign because he had failed to stop the violence.
Speculation was rife that caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was unhappy with Gen Sonthi's performance. There were also rumours that the army chief is trying to befriend Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda in order to save his skin.
Gen Prem recently visited the region and on Aug 26 asked for a solution to the troubles as a birthday present.
Caretaker Defence Minister Thammarak Isarangkura na Ayudhaya said the violence had escalated because militants had forced the state to reverse its previous politics-oriented policy.
Bankers were horrified at the bombings.
''This isn't just a terrorist attack, but a war,'' said Viroj Nualkhair, a former president of Krung Thai Bank.
'' They [the militants] aim to force local residents out of the area by attacking basic infrastructure. If the banks can't operate, it will undermine the entire area,'' he said.
''I don't see any light at the end of the tunnel. Things are getting worse each day,'' he added.
Prasarn Trairatvorakul, president of Kasikornbank, said he was especially disheartened by a report that a customer had been killed while conducting a transaction at its Yala branch.
Kasikornbank closed all seven of its branches in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, but expected to resume normal operations by Monday at the latest.
Tarisa Wattanagase, a Bank of Thailand deputy governor, said no bank had yet sought permission to close any branches in the area permanently.
''Each bank is assessing their operations, and have mostly received assurances that their local staff want to continue work,'' she said.
The Bank of Thailand allowed banks in the region to close yesterday to facilitate maintenance and security upgrades, and to help with the police investigation.
All banks have agreed to reopen on Monday and ensure that ATMs are sufficiently stocked to meet demand.
Paiboon Kasemsutti, president of Yala's Chamber of Commerce, said the attacks would hurt the local economy and said the failure of state agencies to avert the attacks, even though they were forewarned, reflected flaws in their strategies.
A4-sized leaflets were distributed across Yala ahead of the attacks with a message, signed by a militant leader, threatening retaliation against Thai innocents for the government's actions in the South.
Yala's Bank of Ayudhya manager Sub-Lt Nopporn Thammasart said an official received a warning call and employees were evacuated to a strongroom. But the bank failed to alert two customers, who later sustained injuries.
Sutham Wongveera, Yala's Bangkok Bank manager, said money transfers and cash transactions were temporarily suspended, distressing salaried workers and civil servants on payday.
Tawee Piyapattana, chairman of the Southern Federation of Thai Industries, put the blame on the government, which he said had not taken problems seriously, leading to a lack of unity and direction among security forces in the region.
Federation of Trade and Industry chairman Santi Vilassakdanont stressed the need for new elections to be held and a functioning government put in place