The arrest on Tuesday was made after a raid on five houses in Kuching Reupah village where the beating took place last week.

Two of the three suspects were women and lived in the village: Navari Ding, 23, and Musariha Rohseng, 26. The third suspect was Niseng Iduere, the school's janitor. The three were taken to Rangae police station for further interrogation.

Police have so far issued 19 arrest warrants for those allegedly took the two teachers hostage and severely beat them at Kuching Reupah School. One teacher, Juling Pangamoon, was beaten into a coma and doctors have said that only a miracle could save her life.

Seven suspects were arrested on Monday, five of them women. Earlier reports indicated that the two teachers were separated from other teachers because they were Buddhists and that main attackers were women.

Meanwhile, two Muslim leaders of the three southern border provinces on Tuesday denounced those who had attacked the two teachers in Narathiwat.

Abdul Lohmae Jehsae, chairman of the Yala Islamic Committee, and Abdul Rohman Abdulsamad, chairman of the coordination centre of Muslims in the three southern border provinces, said those who took part in attacking the teachers would not be protected and helped by Islamic committees.

The chairman of the Yala Islamic Committee said he denounced those who took part in attacking the teachers because the two women were innocent people and represented goodness in society.

Abdul Rohman Abdulsamad said the teachers went to the village to help the children there so the villagers should not have even thought about attacking them.

The Nation