Thailand: Buddhist and Muslim Protesters Gather after Car Bomb Kills 1, Injures 30 in Police Flats

29-11-2022

Anasuya Virmani

South East Asia and Pacific Team 

Global Human Rights Defence

On November 22nd 2022, a car bombing in the long contested province of Narathiwat, Southern Thailand, was set off within a police compound that killed one police officer and injured at least 30 people, of which more than half were civilians (Bangkok Post, 2022). According to Bangkok Post, a single perpetrator dressed in a police uniform placed a car filled with explosive material next to the apartment compound before the explosion occured that heavily damaged the flats and started a fire (Bangkok Post, 2022). 

About 500 people, including religious leaders from both Buddhist and Muslim communities and students gathered yesterday at the site of the attack to condemn the violence (Bangkok Post, 2022). Their banners read: “Narathiwat people do not use violence,” “Please stop hurting Narathiwat,” and “We, Narathiwat people, do not want any kind of violence (The Thaiger, 2022, n.p.).” While the chairwoman of the Buddhist Thais of Narathiwat led the demonstration by shouting for peace, Islamic leaders led the prayer inside the apartment compound.

So far, Reuters states, noone has claimed responsibility for the bombing (Reuters, 2022). However, there have been fires and coordinated explosions at at least 17 locations in Southern Thailand in August that left 7 people injured (Reuters, 2022). Narathiwat and other provinces in South Thailand which border with Malaysia have already seen lower-level insurgencies for decades: As reported by Reuters, shadowgroups have long been fighting the government for independence of the predominantly Muslim provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani,Yala and Songkhla (Reuters, 2022). 

According to the Deep South Watch group, more than 7300 people have been killed in this conflict since 2004, while peace talks beginning in 2013 have been heavily disrupted (Reuters, 2022). The newspaper The Thaiger adds that between 2004 and 2015 about 12 000 people have been injured due to the separatist insurgency between the Buddhist and Muslim minorities who support the Thai government and the Muslim majority which seeks independence (The Thaiger, 2022). 

References:

Abhasakun, T. Buddhists and Muslims rally for peace together in South Thailand. (2022, November 28). The Thaiger. Retrieved from https://thethaiger.com/news/south/buddhists-and-muslims-rally-for-peace-together-in-south-thailand on 29.11.2022

Harai, W. Ralley against Violence in Narathiwat. (2022, November 28). Bangkok Post. Retrieved from https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2448135/rally-against-violence-in-narathiwat on 29.11.2022

Kapoor, K. (2022 November, 22) Car bomb kills one, hurts nearly 30 in southern Thailand -police. Reuters. Retrieved from www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/one-dead-10-hurt-after-bomb-explodes-police-compound-southern-thailand-police-2022-11-22/ on 28.11.2022