VILLAGERS KILLED IN RAID IN NARATHIWAT

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 007123 SIPDIS INFO ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/16/2015 TAGS: PGOV PTER TH SUBJECT: VILLAGERS KILLED IN RAID IN NARATHIWAT REF: BANGKOK 6104 Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR SUSAN M. SUTTON. REASON: 1.4 (D) ¶1. (U) Insurgents killed 9 Muslim villagers during a nighttime raid in Ra Ngae district in Narathiwat province on November 16th. Eight people were also injured during the attack, five of them children. According to Embassy police sources, an entire family was among the victims. ¶2. (C) Very early speculation is that the insurgents staged a revenge attack on villagers for cooperating with Thai authorities. Police Colonel Manot Ananritthi-kun told the Embassy that the target of the attack could have been an estranged former lieutenant of wanted militant leader Masae Useng. According to Colonel Manot, militants may have feared that this so far unidentified man was killed (along with his whole family) because militants feared that he was talking to Thai authorities. ¶3. (U) The Ra Ngae District Chief told the Embassy that reports that the villagers had blocked Thai authorities from entering the scene of the attack were completely untrue. He said that the villagers had in fact warmly welcomed authorities. Colonel Manot said that the Narathiwat Governor, the Deputy Fourth Army Commander, and several high-ranking Police Commanders have visited the scene of the attack. ¶4. (C) Comment. At this point what really happened remains anyone's guess. The attack site is in the same district where on September 21, a Thai Navy officer and Marine were beaten and stabbed to death by Muslim villagers (reftel). Though this fact could spark speculation that the attack was actually revenge by security personnel, it is too soon to tell. End Comment. BOYCE