Thailand's Islamic Rebellion [View All]

Source: PBS

An Islamic separatist movement is trying to wrest control of a portion of southern Thailand by using increasingly bloody methods, including beheading Buddhist monks, Winn reports.

One Buddhist grandmother Winn interviewed in the southern province of Pattani said the town's residents used to coexist with Muslims, but they don't trust each other anymore since the independence campaign is surging again. She now carries a gun, and explosives by radicals can be hidden anywhere, including in rubber plantations or along the road.

A video by Mark Oltmanns demonstrates what the military's bomb squad is up against in its effort to safely detonate the improvised explosive devices:

"They used to use simple timers and cell phones to detonate the bombs. When we started using cell phone jammers, they switched to other methods. They've now evolved to use remote controls and walkie-talkies," said Thai Army Col. Thaweesak Chantrasint, commander of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit.



Read more: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2011/07/thailand-rebellion.html