A man and
his wife were shot dead while riding a motorcycle to work in a rubber
plantation in Yala, one of the three predominantly ethnic Malay Muslim
provinces with a deep history of rebellion to the rule of faraway Bangkok.
In a
separate attack in neighboring Pattani province, a policeman was fatally shot
by unknown gunmen while traveling to work. He later died in hospital, police
told reporters.
More than
4,000 people have been killed in the last six years in the rubber-rich region
bordering Malaysia, which was a Muslim sultanate until annexed in 1909 by Thailand,
which many locals say has long treated them like second-class citizens.
The
shadowy rebels are assumed to be separatists and often target people associated
with the Thai state, like police, soldiers, government officials and school teachers.
No
credible group has claimed responsibility for the violence, or stated any
demands and at least 30,000 troops based in the region have made little inroads
toward quelling the unrest or identifying those leading the rebellion.
