US embassy cable - 05BANGKOK7123

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, Southern Thailand 
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