US embassy cable - 05BANGKOK7207

UNCLAS BANGKOK 007207 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PTER, TH, Southern Thailand 
SUBJECT: RALLIES AGAINST VIOLENCE HELD IN YALA AND 
NARATHIWAT 
 
REF: BANGKOK 7123 
 
1.  (U)  Crowds estimated at 5,000 to 6,000 persons gathered 
in the southern provinces of Yala and Narathiwat on November 
17 to protest the murder by suspected separatists of a former 
militant, who was cooperating with the government, and his 
family (reftel).  The crowds were made up of both Thai 
Muslims and Buddhists.  Press and academic contacts told the 
Embassy that most of the participants were from the provinces 
and had been organized by local district chiefs.  The crowds 
heard speakers condemn the killings of police informant 
Sudeng Ahwaebuesa, his spouse and seven children in an attack 
in Narathiwat's Ra Ngae district on November 16. 
 
2.  (U)  The biggest crowd, probably over 5,000 strong, 
gathered at the Municipal Youth Center, where representatives 
from Islamic student organizations, Muslim leadership 
councils and women's groups denounced the separatists.  In 
Narathiwat, several hundred from Pattani province gathered to 
show solidarity with their neighbors.  Expressions of support 
came from elsewhere.  On the day of the rally Ayutthaya 
Islamic Committee Chairman Pradit Rattanakomol, on behalf of 
the Muslims in his district, condemned the slayings and 
announced that those who perpetrated the murders "answered to 
no religion."  In Songkhla, the Chamber of Commerce has 
announced its intention to organize a peace march in Yala, 
Pattani and Narathiwat. 
 
3.  (SBU)  Comment:  The "bi-partisan" Buddhist-Muslim makeup 
of the crowds is encouraging in light of apparent recent 
attempts by separatists to drive a wedge between these two 
communities in the region.  Whether this will discourage 
hard-core separatists from making similar attacks in the 
future, however, is debatable. 
 
 
BOYCE