The violence in the three southern border provinces
The most serious incidents of 2003 were those of the two border patrol policemen, who had been assaulted and killed by several villagers at Ban Manangkuepoh of Tanyongmas subdistrict in Narathiwat on 26 April 2003 and the weapons theft at the Southern development Unit at Yala province’s Than To district, whereby five officers were killed and two injured on 28 April 2003. On 7 April 2001, a bomb was planted at Hat Yai railway station, killing a child and injuring 37 people. So far, nobody has come out to claim responsibility for the explosion, but the authorities believed the terrorist movement did it. Shortly after the Hat Yai explosions, two explosions took place : one at a gas factory in Songkhla’s Chana district and another in front of Yal’s Sri Betong Hotel. In fact, the Hat Yai railway station was planted with bombs once on 13 August 1992, killing three people and injuring 77 persons. At the time, a letter was found and signed by the pulo (Pattani United Liberation Organization) movement, which claimed responsibility.