DTN News - 'COBRA GOLD' MILITARY EXERCISE: China Takes Part In Asia's Largest Military Drill

DTN News - 'COBRA GOLD' MILITARY EXERCISE: China Takes Part In Asia's Largest Military Drill

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources CCTV News

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - January 24, 2015: For the first time, China is taking part in Asia’s largest military exercise. The annual drill, "Cobra Gold", will involve more than 9,000 troops from the U.S. and six other countries from the region. They will participate in military, humanitarian and civic activities in various parts of Thailand until February 21st.

When the 33rd "Cobra Gold" multinational military exercise is over in a few days time, more than 50 families of Wat Ta Takien School in Thailand's province of Phitsanulok would be extremely happy. They will have a new one-storey multipurpose building for their children. It will be the outcome of four-week joint effort of Chinese, U.S. and Thai soldiers as part of engineering civic assistance projects under this year's exercise.

"There are no boundaries between the nations participating in this military exercise in terms of providing assistance to civilians. Having different nations work together gives us a chance to get to know each other and gain more knowledge," said Yang Bin of the People's Liberation Army.

For the local Thais, this would be the most tangible result of the region's largest military exercise.

China has been an observer in "Cobra Gold" since 2002 but has never taken part in the exercises until now. Although the role of the Chinese troops is limited to humanitarian drills, including providing engineering support and medical aid, many believe that their participation will boost military relations between China and ASEAN.

"In terms of cooperation between the military of the super powers, the U.S. and China, the operating personnel have developed good relationships with each other," said Col. Charnchai Romyen of Royal Thai Army. "With eight countries participating, the exercise will increase regional security, which I think is a great start."

Over the past three decades, "Cobra Gold" has evolved to include disaster relief and rescue operations.

While the ravages of tsunamis, earthquakes and floods have focused much of "Cobra Gold" on practicing humanitarian assistance efforts in recent years, simulated precision strikes and live fire exercises are a reminder of what militaries have always been designed to do. 
And this may see China's participation in the coming years ahead go through a transformation process to deeper and more challenging roles.

Related Images of 'COBRA GOLD' MILITARY EXERCISE;

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DTN News: Thailand TODAY May 19, 2010 ~ Thai Protest Leaders Surrender After Deadly Clashes

DTN News: Thailand TODAY May 19, 2010 ~ Thai Protest Leaders Surrender After Deadly Clashes

Source: DTN News / Reuters

(NSI News Source Info) BANGKOK, Thailand - May 19, 2010: Four senior Thai anti-government protest leaders surrendered to police on Wednesday after troops stormed their encampment, sparking clashes that killed at least four people, as violence rocked other areas of the city. Using armored vehicles and firing semi-automatic weapons from an overpass, soldiers made an early morning advance on an area occupied for more than six weeks by thousands "red shirt" demonstrators in Bangkok's commercial heart. As they moved close to the main protest site, top protest leaders offered to surrender on the main stage as supporters urged them to fight on, many screaming and crying as gun fire rang out nearby. Moments later, live television showed the four in police custody, urging supporters to go home. The army spokesman said in a television broadcast the protest site was under army control and the military had halted operations. As the leaders were surrendering, three grenades exploded outside the main protest site, badly wounding two soldiers and a foreign journalist, a Reuters witness said. Protesters were also burning tires in other areas of the city. Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said the military had successfully gained control of the Lumpini Park area south of the protest site. Unrest was spreading to other areas of Thailand. Protesters also stormed a town hall complex in the northeastern city of Udon Thani, setting a building ablaze. Three journalists were among 50 people wounded and one Western journalist, identified as an Italian was killed, a hospital said. Troops and armored vehicles broke through three-meter-high barricades of tires and bamboo in an operation to squeeze thousands of anti-government protesters from their fortified camp in central Bangkok. Troops fired tear gas and automatic rifles at the red-shirted protesters but halted the advance before reaching a stage where an estimated 3,000 demonstrators were rallying. Two bodies were found on Ratchadamri Road, which leads to the main protest site after troops followed the army vehicle into the encampment, a Reuters witness said. They appeared to have been shot. The "red shirts" fired back, witnesses said. BLACK SMOKE Protesters ignited walls of tires as the troops arrived, causing thick black smoke to billow high over skyscrapers and hiding thousands of demonstrators who have occupied the heart of Bangkok's commercial district for more than six weeks. Protesters have already taken over intersections at two other places in the capital of 15 million people, one of the world's more popular urban tourist destinations. The mostly rural and urban poor protestors broadly support former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a graft-convicted populist billionaire ousted in a 2006 coup and living in self-imposed exile to avoid jail. Thaksin raised the specter of insurrection in a telephone interview with Reuters on Wednesday. "There is a theory saying a military crackdown can spread resentment and these resentful people will become guerrillas," he said, but declined to say where he was speaking from. He denied an accusation by a top aide of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva that he was the stumbling block for failed talks between the government and the "red shirt" leaders. The military offensive came a day after the collapse of a proposal for talks aimed at ending five days of chaotic street fighting that descended into urban warfare that killed 39 people and wounded more than 300. Two buildings were on fire on the periphery of the protest encampment, a bank and a government building. The red shirts accuse the British-born, Oxford-educated Abhisit of lacking a popular mandate after coming to power in a controversial parliamentary vote in 2008 with tacit backing from the military. They have demanded immediate elections. Troops over the past few days had thrown a cordon around the protest site, a "tent city" at the Rachaprasong intersection, paralyzing the heart of Bangkok. Hundreds of women and children have taken refuge in a temple inside the protest area. Protesters have stockpiled food, water, and supplies in the encampment since Thursday when the assassination of a major-general allied to the red shirts, and an army operation to pressure them, sparked the latest wave of violence that has killed 68 people and wounded more than 1,700 since the demonstrations began in mid-March. (Additional reporting by Nopporn Wong-Anan, Michael Perry and Ambika Ahuja; Writing by Jason Szep; Editing by Bill Tarrant)

Related News Thai army says situation under control at protest site 3:13am EDT Grenades wound soldiers, Canadian reporter in Bangkok 2:48am EDT Thai crackdown may spark "guerrilla war": Thaksin Tue, May 18 2010 Thailand's top four banks to close all Bangkok branches 12:58am EDT

DTN News: Thailand TODAY May 17, 2010 ~ What's Happening In Turbulent Thailand?

DTN News: Thailand TODAY May 17, 2010 ~ What's Happening In Turbulent Thailand? Source: DTN News compiled by Roger Smith, info & partial article from Reuters (NSI News Source Info) BANGKOK, Thailand - May 17, 2010: Thai anti-government protesters have ignored an ultimatum by the government to pack up and leave their Bangkok encampment, dashing hopes of a swift end to a violent and debilitating standoff. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has withdrawn his offer of a November 14 election and says he will offer no more olive branches to the red-shirted demonstrators after their refusal to budge from their protest site in an upmarket shopping and hotel district.

GETTY IMAGES 5 HOURS AGO

BANGKOK, THAILAND - MAY16: A Thai soldier aims down the street during continuing street violence on May 16, 2010 in Bangkok, Thailand. Protesters and military clashed for a fourth day in central Bangkok after the government launched an operation to disperse anti-government protesters who have closed parts of the city for two months. 29 people have died and more than 220 injured since military began its crackdown.

Abhisit and his army-backed government now have few remaining options for how to settle the latest crisis, which has battered tourism and sent consumer confidence to a nine-month low. WHY HAS THE DEAL COLLAPSED? The red shirts agreed to Abhisit's five-point reconciliation plan and the November 14th poll date, but insist the premier and his deputy, Suthep Thaugsuban, be prosecuted for ordering troops to break up a rally at their previous protest site at the Phan Fah bridge on April 10, a botched effort that left 25 dead and more than 800 wounded. Suthep reported to law enforcement authorities on Tuesday to hear complaints from the victims of the dead, but the red shirts said that was not enough. They have demanded his arrest, and that of Abhisit when parliament takes a recess on May 21, and he no longer has parliamentary immunity. Abhisit said the deal was non-negotiable and ordered the red shirts to leave. They have refused and his government says it will scrap the polls -- which were due to take place more than a year early -- but proceed with the reconciliation plan without the red shirts on board. WHAT OPTIONS DOES ABHIST HAVE LEFT? Not many. Since the red shirts are refusing to leave and the government says the peace deal is now off, Abhisit can either wait for the rally to fizzle out -- which could take months and inflict huge damage on the economy -- or use the army to forcibly evict the demonstrators from the ritzy Rachaprasong intersection. The latter is an option the military, perhaps Abhisit also, seems unwilling to take. A crackdown at a heavily fortified and well-guarded site could turn out to be another bloodbath, with heavy casualties on both sides. It would no doubt be a chaotic battle that security forces have no guarantee of winning Abhisit has repeatedly said the government has the authority to "take necessary action" against the protesters but his threats have so far been hollow. The red shirts know that and are probably calling his bluff. WILL THIS DAMAGE ABHISIT'S CREDIBILITY? It looks likely. His reconciliation proposal won him plaudits from almost all parties and saw his opinions ratings soar, with the Oxford-educated economist painted as a peacemaker keen to heal rifts, protect the monarchy and avert a civil war. But nine days later, he is back on the rocks. Even if Abhisit orders a crackdown, it cannot be guaranteed the police will cooperate and doubts remain as to whether the aloof and soon-to-retire army chief Anupong Paochinda will agree to it given his stand that the standoff can only be settled politically. Tuesday's embarrassing U-turn on plans to cut off power and water supplies and cellphone signals around the protest site to force the red shirts out further dented Abhisit's reputation and he will likely face pressure to either act decisively and follow through with his ultimatums, or step down. HOW WILL THE LATEST TWIST IMPACT MARKETS AND THE ECONOMY? Foreign investors have turned negative since violence flared in April and have sold 17.4 billion baht ($539 million) in Thai shares over the past five sessions, cutting their net buying so far this year to 21 billion baht as of Tuesday. Tensions and uncertainty have now increased and selling is likely to continue. Thailand's finance minister on Tuesday said the crisis could trim 0.3 percentage point off Thailand's targeted annual growth rate this year of 4.5 to 5 percent. Consumer confidence fell in February and March, after hitting a 21-month high in January, due to political turmoil, sinking to its lowest since July 2009, with sentiment eroded by political unrest and the possibility of a crackdown.

*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com

DTN News: Thailand TODAY May 15, 2010 ~ Bangkok Conflict Erupts In Gunfire

DTN News: Thailand TODAY May 15, 2010 ~ Bangkok Conflict Erupts In Gunfire *10 Killed, 125 wounded as troops try to surround protesters' camp Source: DTN News / By Ambika Ahuja and Martin Petty, Reuters (NSI News Source Info) BANGKOK, Thailand - May 15, 2010: Troops and rioting anti-government demonstrators battled through the night and into this morning, intensifying a violent political conflict that erupted in gunfire Friday and turned Bangkok's commercial district into a bloody battlefield. Ten people have been killed and at least 125 were wounded, including three journalists -- two Thais and a Canadian working for France 24 television -- since the fighting erupted Thursday night, according to the Erawan medical centre. Troops battled through last night with protesters who hurled rocks and Molotov cocktails on roads surrounding an area of luxury hotels and shopping malls they have occupied for nearly six weeks, witnesses said. The violence left the city of 15 million tense, with gunfire and loud blasts heard on major roads where protesters faced off with the army as it battled to establish a perimeter around the sprawling encampment, with the intent of starving out the protesters. The turbulence adds to a five-year crisis that pits a royalist urban elite who back Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva against rural and urban poor, many of which have adopted red as a protest colour, who say they are disenfranchised. The "red shirts" broadly support former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, a populist billionaire ousted in a 2006 coup and convicted of corruption. A journalist among a group of demonstrators north of the site said violence had intensified during the night. Multiple blasts and gunshots were heard, followed by loud cheers from the protesters, who refused to disperse. Thai television showed footage of injured protesters being loaded into ambulances after street battles with soldiers that appeared to be spreading towards a major intersection. The military said some people among the protesters fired handguns and grenades on Friday, causing chaos. Fires blazed in the road as troops closed off streets after firing volleys of warning shots at protesters who hurled Molotov cocktails and set piles of tires alight in a commercial area dotted with hotels, banks and Western embassies. The fresh wave of violence follows an assassination attempt on Thursday on renegade general Khattiya Sawasdipol, a military adviser to the red shirts, who was critically wounded while speaking to reporters. He had brain surgery and is on life support. Much of the city was braced for a crackdown at the main protest site where thousands of the red-shirted demonstrators, including women and children, have gathered, protected by medieval-like walls made from tires and wooden staves soaked in kerosene and topped by razor wire. Army spokesmen Sansern Kaewkamnerd on Friday said there were an estimated 500 armed "terrorists" among the thousands of protesters in the city. A source close to army chief Anupong Paochinda said more troop reinforcements would be deployed, fearing more protesters would arrive to surround and attack soldiers. The protesters say Oxford-educated Prime Minister Abhisit lacks a popular mandate after coming to power in a controversial parliamentary vote influenced by the politically powerful military. The two months of protests have spiralled into a crisis that has killed 36 people, wounded more than 1,400, paralyzed parts of Bangkok, scared off investors and squeezed the economy.

DTN News: Thailand TODAY May 1, 2010 ~ Thai Protesters Call For Reinforcements In Capital

DTN News: Thailand TODAY May 1, 2010 ~ Thai Protesters Call For Reinforcements In Capital Source: DTN News / By Ravi Nessman (AP) (NSI News Source Info) BANGKOK, Thailand - May 1, 2010: Anti-government protesters, showing little sign of wearing down after seven weeks of protests, said Saturday that supporters from around the country were sending reinforcements to fortify their encampment in the Thai capital. With negotiations between the protesters and the government on hold and hopes for a peaceful end to the standoff dwindling, calls grew for international mediators to be brought in to bridge the gap between the two sides. The protesters have barricaded roads and paralyzed much of the city's commercial center for weeks in a campaign to force the government to disband parliament and call elections. At least 27 people have been killed and nearly 1,000 wounded in ensuing violence between protesters and security forces. Some officials have expressed hopes the protesters will grow weary and go home soon, but Weng Tojirakarn, a Red Shirt leader, said they planned to beef up their presence in the streets of the capital. "Red Shirts, people from the provinces, are coming in to Bangkok, starting from today. And this time they will stay a long time," he said. The Red Shirts, drawn mostly from the rural and urban poor, are demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, saying he came to power through the connivance of Bangkok's elite bureaucrats and the military. As the crisis dragged on, the International Crisis Group think tank appealed for foreign mediation, possibly led by East Timor President Jose Ramos Horta, to encourage both sides to stand down and help prepare for new elections and a government of national unity. "It is time for Thailand to consider help from international friends to avoid a slide into wider violence. Even the most advanced democracies have accepted this," the think tank said in a statement. The government has repeatedly rejected efforts to bring in foreign mediators. "This is a domestic situation with sensitivities and complexities that the international community may not be fully aware of," said government spokesman Panithan Wattanayagorn. New York-based Human Rights Watch also called on the protesters and security forces to endthe violence. "All sides need to rein in their supporters, order the attacks to stop and negotiate a political solution before the situation escalates," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Wednesday that U.S. diplomats were "intensively engaged in discussions" with Thai government officials and opposition forces, and E.U. diplomats said they have met with opposition figures as well. Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya censured some foreign diplomats for meeting with Red Shirt leaders this week. "We do not want to see that happening again," Kasit told reporters. The Red Shirts have drawn fire in recent days for breaking into a hospital in the protest zone, prompting medical officials to evacuate patients. The incident exposed a possible rift among the protest leaders, some of whom tried to make amends by removing barricades blocking the hospital only to be overruled by others who had them restored. The government also has stepped up accusations the protesters were trying to undermine the monarchy — which the Red Shirts deny — and said Friday that a grenade attack last month near the Defense Ministry was actually targeting one of the country's most sacred Buddhist shrines.

DTN News: Enstrom Helicopter Wins Royal Thai Army Training Programme

DTN News: Enstrom Helicopter Wins Royal Thai Army Training Programme

Source: DTN News / Enstrom Helicopter Corporation (NSI News Source Info) MENOMINEE, MI. - February 28, 2010: Enstrom Helicopter Corporation would like to announce that they will be providing 16 480B advanced turbine training helicopters for the Royal Thai Army.

The 480B was selected in a competitive bidding process that included aircraft from 7 different major manufacturers. In October Enstrom hosted a delegation of officials from the Royal Thai Army led by Major General Pittaya Krachangwong, who came to Menominee to inspect Enstrom’s manufacturing facilities and fly the different models of Enstrom helicopters.

“We couldn’t be more excited to be working with the Royal Thai Army,” said Jerry Mullins, Enstrom’s President and CEO. “The 480B turbine helicopter was originally designed for military instruction, and although it has had great success in the commercial market, it’s nice to see it being recognized as a great training ship as well. The Royal Thai Army’s visit has given them the confidence to go forward with Enstrom, now and in the future.”

Along with General Pittaya, three other experienced Royal Thai Army pilots flew the Enstrom 480B and piston powered F28F. “The said it was almost too easy to fly,” commented David Blake of Blake & DeJong Ltd., Enstrom’s Managing Representative in Asia. “None of them have ever flown the 480B before, but they were able to take the controls and immediately felt comfortable enough to fly a number of maneuvers. This will be a great training helicopter for the Royal Thai Army.”

Beyond just training, the Royal Thai Army intends to use their new 480Bs for a number of missions. “Avionics-wise, these new 480B’s are going to be some of more advanced aircraft in the Royal Thai Army’s inventory,” said Enstrom’s Director of Sales & Marketing, Tracy Biegler. “When we explained to the Royal Thai Army firsthand some of the features and capabilities of the EFIS system and the tactical radios, it really opened their eyes. These aircraft will have the ability to do a lot more than just training, such as search and rescue, surveillance, and disaster relief. The Royal Thai Army is definitely going to utilize the flexibility built into the 480B design.” Enstrom is represented in Asia by Blake & DeJong Ltd., and in Thailand by M-Landarch Inc.

DTN News: Thailand TODAY September 6, 2009 ~ Bomb In South Thailand Kills Policeman, Wounds 12

DTN News: Thailand TODAY September 6, 2009 ~ Bomb In South Thailand Kills Policeman, Wounds 12 *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) PATTANI, Thailand - September 6, 2009: A bomb believed to have been planted by Islamic insurgents exploded Friday outside a restaurant in southern Thailand where security forces were eating breakfast, killing a policeman and wounding 12 other people. Army spokesman Col. Parinya Chaidilok said the bomb was hidden in a pickup truck parked outside the restaurant in Yala city. Thai soldiers carry injury from a bombing explosion of a motorcycle parked outside a row of open-air shops and restaurants in the city of Pattani Province. Eight people were killed in a string of drive-by shootings and at least 25 were wounded in a bomb blast in Thailand's insurgency-plagued south, in what the army said Thursday was a "unusually high" number of attacks in the restive region. Two of those wounded by the 50-kilogram (110-pound) bomb were policemen and the others were civilian bystanders, he said. The explosion destroyed three vehicles, including the pickup truck containing the bomb. More than 3,700 people have been killed in Thailand's three southernmost provinces _ Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala _ since an Islamist insurgency flared in January 2004. The provinces are the only Muslim-majority areas in the Buddhist-dominated country. Muslims in the region have long complained of discrimination by the central government. Since the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan began last month, there has been a marked surge in violence. On Aug. 25, in a similar attack, a bomb in a pickup truck exploded outside a crowded open-air restaurant at lunchtime, wounding 18 people in Narathiwat city. A spate of shootings, bombings and military raids on Wednesday and Thursday left 11 people dead and more than 20 wounded. A massive security presence has failed to stop the violence, which has killed more Muslims than Buddhists. The militants target people working with the government, including soldiers, police and suspected informants. They also stage attacks on civilians that are believed to be intended to scare the Buddhist community into fleeing. Srisompob Jitpiromsri, a scholar at Pattani's Prince of Songkhla University who studies the violence, said the average number of violent incidents per month is higher this year than in the previous two years. "Despite their attempt to quell the violence, government after government have failed to come up with a coordinated policy to improve the situation," he said. "The military can suppress the movement but it cannot fully control the situation. The insurgents can still find a weak point and stage an attack." The insurgents have made no public pronouncements but are thought to be fighting for an independent Muslim state. The area used to be an Islamic sultanate until it was annexed by Thailand in the early 20th century.

DTN News: Suspected Muslim Attackers Kill 2 Soldiers In Southern Thailand

DTN News: Suspected Muslim Attackers Kill 2 Soldiers In Southern Thailand *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) PATTANI, Thailand - August 24, 2009: Suspected Muslim rebels killed two soldiers Sunday in an attack on a government checkpoint in Thailand's insurgency-plagued south. Police officers survey the site of a bomb attack in Yala province, south of Bangkok August 22, 2009. Three civil servants were killed in a gun and bomb attack and a Muslim rubber tapper shot dead by suspected insurgents in Thailand's deep south on Saturday, police said. At least 10 men opened fire in the pre-dawn assault in Narathiwat province, police Lt. Thongchai Pookapan said. Three others a soldier, a policeman and a security volunteer were wounded. The attackers fled in pickup trucks after a 10-minute gunfight, he said. More than 3,700 people have been killed in Thailand's three southernmost provinces since an Islamic insurgency flared in January 2004. The provinces are the only Muslim-majority areas in the Buddhist-dominated country, and their residents have long complained of discrimination by the central government. A massive security presence has failed to stop the violence, which has killed more Muslims than Buddhists. The militants target people working with the government, including soldiers, police and informants. They also stage attacks on civilians that are believed to be intended to scare the Buddhist community into fleeing. The insurgents have made no public pronouncements but are thought to be fighting for an independent Muslim state. The area used to be an Islamic sultanate until it was annexed by Thailand in the early 20th century.

DTN News: Thailand TODAY August 10, 2009 ~ Two Muslim Village Chiefs Killed In Thai South

DTN News: Thailand TODAY August 10, 2009 ~ Two Muslim Village Chiefs Killed In Thai South *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) YALA, Thailand - August 10, 2009: Two Muslim village leaders were killed in drive-by shootings in Thailand's restive southernmost provinces, police said Sunday. A soldier stands guard over the body of an assistant village headman in southern Thailand's Yala province August 9, 2009. The assistant village headman was shot dead by Muslim militants while riding to town on a motorcycle with his wife, police said. The wife sustained injuries during the incident. The attacks took place at the weekend in Yala and Pattani, two of the three mainly Muslim provinces in predominantly Buddhist Thailand, which have been plagued by five years of separatist violence. Gunmen on a motorcycle killed an assistant village chief in the Muang district of Yala early Sunday, police said. Late Saturday, a village headman was shot dead in front of his home in Yaring, Pattani by unknown assailants riding in a pickup truck armed with M-16 assault rifles. The attacks came during a two-day visit to the region by Bangkok-based diplomats from member countries of the Organisation of Islamic Conference , the world's largest Muslim body, which has criticised Thai security forces for their handling of the conflict. The OIC demanded an end to attacks on Muslims after 11 were shot dead while praying in a mosque in southern Thailand in June. Close to 3,500 people have been killed since 2004 in Thailand's deep south. The 30,000 troops deployed to the region, which was once an independent Malay-Muslim sultanate, have made little progress towards quelling the unrest.

DTN News: Buddhist Monk Killed In South Thailand Violence

DTN News: Buddhist Monk Killed In South Thailand Violence

*Source: Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) YALA, Thailand - June 12, 2009: A Buddhist monk was killed and another seriously injured when they were gunned down while collecting alms as more violence erupted in Thailand's restive south, police said on Friday.

Thai policemen inspect the site of a car bomb blast in Thailand's restive southern province of Narathiwat on June 7, 2009. Police said two persons were killed and 19 injured when 50 kilograms of explosive packed in a car were detonated through a mobile phone. More than 3,600 people have been killed and thousands more injured in five years of separatist violence across the three restive provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat. Buddhist-majority Thailand annexed the ethnic Malay area in 1902, sparking decades of tension.

The attack was the latest in a recent flare-up of bloody violence in the Muslim-majority region near the Malaysian border, where nearly 3,500 people have been killed in five years of unrest.

Police said suspected separatist insurgents dressed in exercise clothes rode past on motorcycles and fired automatic weapons at the monks as they collected food donations in an urban area of Yala province.

Thailand's south has been hit by its deadliest week of violence this year, with 24 people killed and more than 40 injured in the last seven days, which included the fatal shooting of 10 Muslims praying in a mosque.

Monday's attack raised tensions between Muslims and the region's minority Buddhists and villagers have accused the military of involvement, saying no Muslim was capable of such an act.

The army rejected the claims and blamed insurgents for the attack. The Organization of the Islamic Conference has urged Bangkok to probe what it said was the latest aggressive act on southern Muslims by "armed and organised elements".

Mystery surrounds who is behind the violence in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, which was part of an independent Malay Muslim sultanate until annexed by Buddhist Thailand a century ago.

No credible group has stated its aims or claimed responsibility for the gun, bomb and arson attacks, which the 30,000 troops stationed in the region have failed to prevent. (Reporting by Surapan Boonthanom; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Valerie Lee)

ASEAN Leaders Dismayed At Cancellation

ASEAN Leaders Dismayed At Cancellation

(NSI News Source Info) April 13, 2009: Thai soldiers have fired tear gas to disperse anti-government protesters blocking a road in Bangkok, where a state of emergency is in force.

In a midnight speech to the Thai cabinet, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva called on people to respect the rule of law.

A supporter of ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra wave a national flag at riot troops guarding a road in Bangkok April 13, 2009. The Thai army cracked down on anti-government protesters on Monday, firing warning shots at a major junction in the capital at demonstrators who responded by hurling petrol bombs.

But officials now say at least 49 people have been injured.

Australia's prime minister, Kevin Rudd, was one of the leaders hoping that the East Asia Summit would produce real results.

An anti-government demonstrator sets a fire near downtown Monday, April 13, 2009, in Bangkok, Thailand. Thai authorities have declared a state of emergency shutting down rail service as soldiers continue to battle anti-government demonstrators.

Kevin Rudd, like many of the regions leaders, was caught out by the events in Thailand which led to the abrubt cancellation of the planned East Asia summit.

Mr Rudd was on a government plane travelling to Thailand when the decision was made to cancel the summit, and Mr Rudd's plane turned around and came back to Australia.

For the Australian prime minister it is a lost opportunity on a number of issues he wished to pursue with other leaders of the region.

Thailand Faces Years Of Unrest, Say Analysts

Thailand Faces Years Of Unrest, Say Analysts

(NSI News Source Info) BANGKOK - April 13, 2009: Thailand is destined for years of political unrest and uncertainty, analysts say, after protests triggered a state of emergency in Bangkok and forced the humiliating shutdown of a major summit.

The kingdom's colour-coded political turmoil was again thrust into the international spotlight when red-shirted anti-government activists stormed a high-profile meeting of Asian leaders on Saturday, forcing its cancellation.

Thai soldiers stand guard near government house on April 12, 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Sunday declared a state of emergency in the Bangkok and five neighbouring provinces, a day after anti-government protesters cancelled a 16-nation regional summit.

With the demonstrations escalating on Sunday, tanks deployed on the streets of Bangkok, reviving memories of the 2006 ouster of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra in a military coup, the trigger for three years of turmoil.

As the embattled current prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, announced that the protesters could face the use of force, analysts said the embarrassing cancellation of the summit in Pattaya would only result in more division.

"This summit incident will deepen the rifts in Thai society. Thailand will be divided and unstable for the next few years," said Somchai Phagaphasvivat, an academic at Thailand's respected Thammasat University.

"Anyone could become leader in the future - even a junta government."

Thaksin, living in exile avoiding jail for corruption but still influential, is at the centre of the rift: he is loved by the rural and urban poor, represented by the so-called "Red Shirts" who forced the closure of the summit.

On the other side is the powerful Bangkok-based cliques in the palace, military and bureaucracy, ostensibly represented by the "Yellow Shirts" who loathe the billionaire and side with the current Abhisit administration.

The British-born Abhisit has only been in power since December, when a court turfed out the previous pro-Thaksin government, but, like those before him, he has failed to come good on his promise to unite the country.

Thailand's fourth prime minister in the space of a year, analysts say Abhisit's own personal fate matters less than the need to find a long-term solution that will restore peace once and for all. Without it, tourists and foreign investors will increasingly be scared off by Thailand, observers say, further hurting the economy as it hurtles towards recession, which in turn would only result in more strife.

"The fact that the summit has been postponed now is humiliating for the government," said analyst Thitinan Pongsudhirak of Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University.

"It shows the world that last year was not a one-off," Thitinan said, referring to protests against the then-government that saw yellow-shirted demonstrators force the closure of Bangkok's airports.

"This is going to go on for some time, this kind of mob rule," Thitinan added.

Another analyst said only reform of a political system dominated by patronage, provincial strongmen and the influence of a shadowy elite would provide the permanent stability the country so badly needs.

"Politics in Thailand is not a public affair, it is an extension of families and their cliques. This is the building block of the entire system," said Michael Nelson, a visiting academic at Chulalongkorn University.

"Then we have the other elite groups like the privy council (the advisors to King Bhumibol Adulyadej) and the military, and what they do behind the scenes - which is not for public consumption."

Thailand Is A Tourist Paradise, Its A Has Fair Share Of Militants Problems In Southern Part

Thailand Is A Tourist Paradise, Its A Has Fair Share Of Militants Problems In Southern Part

(NSI News Source Info) March 14, 2009: In the last few days, there's been another spike of violence in the south. Three soldiers were killed while on patrol, and several civilians were wounded elsewhere, by attackers seeking to intimidate informers or local police. The government is sending another 4,000 troops and police to the south, making a total of 64,000. Despite a gradual reduction in violence in the south, the killings continue.

Thai soldiers stand guard at the site of a bomb blast triggered by suspected separatist Muslim militants in Sri Sa Korn district, in Thailand's restive southern province of Narathiwat on January 23, 2009. Suspected separatists detonated a road side bomb as Thai soldiers were patrolling, injured two of them. More than 3,500 people have been killed since unrest erupted in Thailand's Muslim-majority southern provinces five years ago. Not as many as before, but 700 have died in the last year, and 3,700 in the last five. That's about two people a day, in an area with a population of two million. That's about five times the murder rate in the rest of the country. The rate of violence has decreased as the police and army have gained the upper hand, but many of the Islamic terrorists are willing to fight to the death. There is increased Islamic violence against southern Moslems suspected to assisting the police. More southerners are doing just that, sensing that the Islamic radicals are a dead end. The Islamic terrorists also make themselves unpopular by their attacks on schools and threatening to impose lifestyle restrictions on the population. In the last five years, nearly a quarter of the 300,000 Buddhists in the south have fled. This has been another goal of the Islamic terrorists down south, who want to separate the three Moslem majority provinces into an Islamic state (to eventually include all of Thailand, Malaysia and other nations in the region.) The army is buying a portable aerostat system for use in the south. A truck carrying the gear can inflate the aerostat within an hour, and get it up to an altitude of 1,000 feet (which means its cameras can see out to about sixty kilometers.) The aerostat can carry day or night cameras (including a thermal sensor). In rural areas, the aerostat enables security forces to quickly get persistent aerial surveillance over a large area (2800 square kilometers.) A camera with a powerful zoom lens enables the operator to get a close look at anything down there. Adding to the stress down south, there is a drought. The government has brought in water transportation and distribution March 7, 2009: In the south, two college students were killed and their bodies burned. Islamic terrorists are suspected, but there has always been more violence in the south because of the smuggling gangs. But elsewhere in the south, two army rangers, two Buddhists (a village chief and another civilian) were murdered, apparently by Islamic terrorists.

Cobra Gold Military Exercise - Joint Forces #4

Cobra Gold Military Exercise - Joint Forces #4

(NSI News Source Info) February 15, 2009: A U.S. Marines catches a cobra with his bare hands during a jungle survival exercise with Thai Marines as part of "Cobra Gold 09" east of Bangkok February 14, 2009. Thailand launched its annual war games on February 4 with troops from the United States, Japan, Singapore and Indonesia linking up with Thai forces for two weeks of joint military exercises.

Cobra Gold Military Exercise - Joint Forces #3

Cobra Gold Military Exercise - Joint Forces #3

(NSI News Source Info) February 13, 2009: Thai marines walk up to the shore during an amphibious assault exercise as part of the Cobra Gold 09 joint military exercise at a military base in Chonburi Province, east of Bangkok February 13, 2009. Thailand launched its annual war games on February 4 with troops from the United States, Japan, Singapore and Indonesia linking up with Thai forces for two weeks of joint military exercises.

Cobra Gold Military Exercise - Joint Forces #2

Cobra Gold Military Exercise - Joint Forces #2

(NSI News Source Info) February 11, 2009: Cobra Gold 09 Combined/Joint Information Bureau, U.S. Seaman Christopher Smith from Washington, D.C., directs a Landing Craft as it departs from the beach after transporting Marines and equipment ashore for the Cobra Gold joint military exercise at Sattahip Naval Base in Chonburi province, southeastern Thailand Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009.

The two-week long annual joint exercise involving with nearly 12,000 soldiers from Thailand, the United States, Singapore, Japan, and Indonesia, is considered the largest military operations in the Southeast Asia region.On February 6, 2009 in Sattahip, southeastern Thailand, and released by the US Navy, a Landing Craft Utility (LCU) 1631 from Assault Craft Unit One arrives from the forward-deployed amphibious dock landing ship USS Tortuga (LSD 46) to off load Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to participate in Exercise Cobra Gold 09.

Cobra Gold Military Exercise - Joint Forces

Cobra Gold Military Exercise - Joint Forces

(NSI News Source Info) February 11, 2009: Thai and US soldiers watch a display of a robot called 'Big Dog' during the opening ceremony of the Cobra Gold military exercise at a hotel in Chiang Mai province. The two-week long annual Thai-US joint exercise involving around 12,000 troops from Singapore, Japan and Indonesia and is the largest military exercise in the Southeast Asian region.

Thailand Accused Of Dumping Refugees At Sea Without Water / Photos Show Refugees Cast Adrift By Thai Military

Thailand Accused Of Dumping Refugees At Sea Without Water / Photos Show Refugees Cast Adrift By Thai Military

(NSI News Source Info) January 27, 2009: THE first pictures have emerged showing hundreds of refugees who had fled Burma being towed into international waters on the order of the Thai Army and abandoned at sea. The Herald reported last week that about 1000 refugees had been taken into international waters by Thai Army boats and abandoned with barely a day's supply of rice and water. The new photos, supplied to the television network CNN, are believed to have been taken by someone involved in the operation. They show refugees being towed on a small, overcrowded boat by the Thai Army before being cut loose and abandoned. CNN reported that up to 190 refugees, mainly Rohingya Muslims from western Burma, were crowded onto a single boat.The Thai Army has been executing a policy of detaining refugees on the island of Koh Sai Baed, before casting them adrift in unpowered vessels. About 500 men are now missing and feared drowned, and Thailand faces the possibility of bodies washing up on popular tourist beaches in Phang Nga and Phuket. Since media reports began circulating about the mistreatment of the refugees, Thailand has faced international condemnation, and the Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, has promised an investigation. Shocked tourists holidaying in Thai coastal resorts have provided to international newspapers, including the Herald, photographs of refugees lined up on beaches at gunpoint. Mr Vejjajiva had said the Rohingya boat people would be "pushed out of the country" as part of a crackdown on illegal immigration, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post reported last week. The officer at the centre of the controversy, Colonel Manat Kongpat, of the Thai Army's Internal Security Operations Command has reportedly denied the allegations, saying the refugees were given food and water and helped on their way after villagers repaired their boats.