The martyrs of the South

EDITORIAL

Published: 5 Dec 2012 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

On the day that security forces promised improved safety for teachers, a school teacher in the deep South was shot and killed.

Village school teacher Chatsuda Nilsuwan, 32, was riding home on her motorcycle after classes. She was the 155th teacher killed in just under nine years of violence in the southernmost provinces.

About the time a gunman murdered Chatsuda, a 15-strong gang of armed men invaded Ban Thasu School in neighbouring Pattani. They rounded up staff trying to guard the school and held them at gunpoint. They then torched the main building, destroying offices, books and computers. No one was harmed _ except the students who have no materials, school offices and the like.

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spiceman
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Discussion 3 : 05 Dec 2012 at 13.583
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The word "Martyr" means "Someone who choose to die rather than deny a strongly held belief, especially, a religious belief." Did the Govt entice the teachers in the Deep South with lucrative pay in order to make them stay and teach in such an overwhelmingly dangerous area? So, when did bribery become a religious belief? Bahtism, I suppose!
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pjt
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Discussion 2 : 05 Dec 2012 at 08.162
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I agree with the sentiments regards teachers and students and improved security - but you should give some space to examine how improved security is to be achieved. There is always a trade off - more soldiers guarding schools or more escorted convoys comes with the concern that you are generating desirable targets for insurgents. These attacks are just one symptom of the underlying failure to make progress to understand and tackle the root of the insurgency - until you do security will always be a sadly inadequate band aid
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oldairman
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Discussion 1 : 05 Dec 2012 at 07.451
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To defeat the terrorists you need to be able to think like a terrorist whilst maintaining control of you forces.This means that you need to have a specially trained and dedicated unit whose only task is counter terrorism. It takes a long time to build a unit like that but sadly the Army puts conscripted troops into the firing line with only basic training and poorly trained border guards as well.
Just meat for the grinder and cannon fodder.
It also requires commitment and determination from the government of the day as well but over the past decades it has not been there and is not in evidence now.
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The martyrs of the South | Bangkok Post: opinion