 [The Nation] An 8-year-old boy and his parents were among eight people killed in separate attacks in southern Thailand that left four wounded Thursday, just two days after government and insurgent negotiators agreed to set up a limited ceasefire.
Police blamed the attacks in Narathiwat and Pattani provinces on groups seeking to instigate violence following Tuesday's news out of Kuala Lumpur that a panel representing some southern Thai rebel groups had struck a breakthrough with negotiators from Thailand's military government. Both sides announced they would work together to establish a safety zone in one of the five southernmost districts as a test case to see if they could implement a wider ceasefire.
The attacks began Thursday morning as Somchai Thongchan, the deputy chief of Ban Sri Pinyo village in Narathiwat, his wife, sister-in-law, and 8-year-old son were attacked and killed. A daughter, 12, and a niece, 6, were wounded.Police Captain Wanchai said, "The incident took place while Somchai and five others were driving to send the children to school. On a remote hill, unknown assailants fired weapons at them, resulting in death and injury. We believe it was the work of insurgents who wanted to instigate violence."
Hours later, Kasem Toyo, a security guard in nearby Yala province, was gunned down before dusk as he was traveling home in the Mayo district of Pattani.
The violent day ended when three rangers were killed and a postman and civilian were wounded while shopping in the Ban Tabae market place in Pattani’s Mayo district.
Police Captain Muhammad Madwang said, "As per witness accounts, seven to eight assailants shot those killed and injured while they were walking in the market."
A spokesman for the military's regional command promised justice. saying, "The act of these assailants indicates that they are cowardly, wild, lacking in ideology. They should not cite ideology for the Malay people. We will go after them and bring them to justice as soon as possible."
Thursday’s killings occurred a day after police found the bodies of Kajpon Puvavimol and wife Titapha in Thepa district, Songkhla province. They were beaten, tied up with duct tape and thrown into the Thepa River as assailants hijacked their pickup truck and made off with it. Police found the truck which had been loaded with bombs that failed to detonate, officials said.
Thai junta leader and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha denounced the killings. He said, "We need to prevent such bullet-spraying attacks. At the moment, we are not done with peace talks. We still need solutions to the problem."
Prayuth stressed the need for safety zones and called them a test to determine if MARA Patani, the panel representing insurgent groups and factions, could contain violence in the far South. He said, "If they do have potential, talks will go on. If not, they must find a way to non-violence."
MARA Patani spokesman Abu Hafiz al-Hakim reiterated the panel's commitment to resolving the conflict through dialogue and the establishment of safety zones following Tuesday's agreement. On social media he said, "We are saddened by today morning’s incidence in Ruso district, Narathiwat, where four people were killed and two injured. We do not condone violence involving civilians and children and strongly condemn the attack. We express our condolences to the victims and their families. We urge the authorities to thoroughly investigate the incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice." 
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