Ethnic Malay Muslim insurgents in southern Thailand shot dead Pongkorn Chumapan, 16, and wounded Pokanit Morasin, 12, on Tuesday when they attacked a pickup truck taking Buddhist monks and novices from Wat Kura temple to collect alms in Songkhla province’s Sabayoi district.
Children have frequently been victims of the separatist conflict in Thailand’s southern border provinces, which has claimed more than 7,000 lives—mostly civilians—since the outbreak of armed insurgency in January 2004.
The attack was carried out by the National Revolutionary Front (Barisan Revolusi Nasional, BRN) separatist movement, which considers Buddhism to be emblematic of the Thai state’s occupation of Malay territory. The two boys were ordained as novices during their school break to study Buddhism, a common practice for male students in Thailand to accumulate good karma. At least 23 Buddhist monks and novices have been killed and more than 30 injured during the conflict, most while collecting alms in the morning.
In addition to targeted attacks, children have been victims of indiscriminate shootings and bombings. On Sunday, BRN insurgents detonated a motorcycle bomb outside Khok Khean police station in Narathiwat province, as a pickup truck loaded with students from an evening Quran study passed by. At least seven Muslim children were wounded, with one girl still in critical condition.
These attacks violated international humanitarian law, which provides broad protection for children and other civilians during armed conflict.
There is no justification for the BRN’s attacks targeting civilians, even if the insurgent leadership claims the civilians harmed are part of the Thai Buddhist state or that the BRN’s interpretation of Islam permits such attacks.
Both the BRN and the Thai security forces in Thailand’s deep south have committed numerous serious violations of the laws of war. But violations by one side never justify violations by the other.
Malaysia, which has brokered a peace dialogue between the BRN and Thai authorities, and other concerned governments should not remain silent in the face of unlawful attacks on civilians, which are apparent war crimes. They should press the BRN to cease its deliberate and indiscriminate attacks on civilians and urge Thai authorities to prosecute security forces responsible for abuses committed in southern Thailand. Without progress on the protection of civilians, no one will ever feel safe.
