Via Right Wing Death Beast:
Muslim militants, having scared many people in three southern Thai provinces into not working on Fridays, the Islamic holy day, have distributed a leaflet ordering a work-free Thursday as well. One senior official, admitting that the initial order distributed in July had been effective, dismissed the new leaflet issued by unnamed "Fighters" as inconsequential, but some in the rubber-producing area said on Wednesday that they would heed it. "That first order scared local people. They dare not go to work on Fridays. But this leaflet, they think it's a joke," Boonyasit Suwannarat, the governor of Pattani province, told Reuters.| "Pshaw. They're just stupid locals. What would they know? |
However, Yarn Rattananiyom, a rubber farmer in neighbouring Narathiwat province, said he would stay home on Thursday. "They just shot my relative this morning while he was on his way to collect rubber just a short distance from here," he said. "He is now in coma. I am not sure whether he will make it," Yarn said by telephone. "I think I might need to stop working tomorrow. I am concerned about my own safety."| Yeah. Just a dumb hick, alright. |
The government of predominantly Buddhist Thailand, which marks Saturday and Sunday as the weekend, has tried a variety of policies to undermine the insurgency, ranging from flooding the relatively poor region with troops to generous development aid.| And origami cranes. Those worked especially well. |
So far there have been no signs of success and most people in the three provinces now stay at home on Friday following the first militant order that it be celebrated as a day of prayer. The provinces normally produce around 600,000 tonnes of natural rubber a year, about 20 percent of the output of Thailand, the world's largest producer and exporter of natural rubber. Officials fear the violence in the region, once an independent sultanate annexed by Thailand a century ago, will cut rubber output by 6 percent this year. | Thursday is now the 153rd holiest site in Islam, kufrs. |
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