(05 July 08 - RV) Suspected insurgents in the south of Thailand opened fire in a bustling
cafe frequented by police and soldiers earlier today, killing three customers and
injuring four others.
Today’s attack brings the total number killed in isolated
incidents in Yala province over the last week to seven.
More than 3,000 people
have been killed in the predominantly Muslim southern provinces since early 2004,
when a separatist movement flared after a lull of more than two decades.
The
government has made little progress in curbing the violence despite the presence of
nearly 40,000 police and soldiers.
Charles Monthienvichienchai is a scholar
at St. John University in Bangkok.
He says that the violence in the mostly
democratic south of Thailand is due to political grievances and corruption.