Rueso ambush targets Thai Buddhists: SBPAC

BANGKOK, March 4 (TNA) -- The ambush that killed a family of four people in Rueso district of Narathiwat intentionally targeted Thai Buddhists, said Supanat Sirantawineti, secretary-general of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC). While violent incidents in the far South plunged in number compared with those in 2007, the ambush that killed pupils in Rueso district on Thursday was brutal and obviously targeted Thai Buddhists, Mr Supanat said at Government House on Friday. He said that officials were trying to promote peaceful co-existence between Thai Buddhists and Muslims and to prevent such an incident from recurring. He blamed the ambush in Rueso on insurgency. The SBPAC secretary-general also described as outrageous the murder of three soldiers in Mayo district, Pattani, on Thursday. He said that Thai Buddhists and Muslims co-existed harmoniously and only some groups of people had their belief abused. His organisation tried to create understanding among local people and receive good cooperation from them, he said. An opinion survey by Yala Rajabhat University showed that 71% of respondents were opposed to the violent attacks and 72% were satisfied with the work of the Prayut Chan-o-cha government, Mr Supanat said. (TNA)