ID :
344247
Mon, 10/13/2014 - 12:31
Auther :

Nearly 200 arson attacks on schools in Thai far South in a decade

PATTANI, THAILAND, October 13 (TNA) - Schools in the violence-plagued Thai far South have been targeted by arson attacks for nearly 200 times over the past 10 years so far, from January 2004-August 2014. According to official statistics, suspected insurgents have burned schools in the Thai deep South 199 times since violent unrest erupted in the region in early 2004. A total of 231 people have died consequently, including 138 teachers, 40 other educational officials and 53 students, while 372 were wounded, including 139 teachers, 25 other educational officials and 208 students. Meanwhile, primary education officials in Pattani Province, where six schools were damaged by arson attacks on October 12, held an urgent meeting with parties concerned, including directors of the six schools, on Monday to find temporary classrooms for the affected students. Adinan Pakbara, an inspector-general of the Education Ministry who is responsible for education in southern border Thai provinces, told reporters that the meeting initially agreed that canteens or conference halls of the six damaged schools be used as their temporary classrooms when the second semester starts on November 3 and if they remain insufficient, a Muslim religious school in a provincial village will be asked to allow students of the damaged schools to attend classes temporarily. Five schools in Pattani’s Thung Yang Daeng District and the other one in Mayo District were set on fire at about 2:30am on Sunday. The military said the torching was believed to be a retaliation against recent military operations, in which several key suspected insurgents in the targeted areas were captured. (TNA)

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