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Published on January 25, 2008

The arrests were made after police were alerted to the attack on Suwit Bunsanit, 46, a teacher at Ban Koh Tah school in Khok Pho district early on Wednesday.

Suspects Waeumeng Dueramae, 22, and Kari Maman, 28, both of Pattani, were wounded in gun battle with police.

They allegedly told officials later, during interrogation, they were forced by the head of a local militant cell to attack teachers in exchange for their freedom from the insurgent group.

Waeumeng was involved in a bloody attack on April 28, 2004, police said.

Suwit was driving to his school and just 100 metres from the entrance when the suspects, riding on a motorcycle, allegedly shot him.

Pol Maj Gen Kreerin Inkaew, a Pattani police chief, said the attack on Suwit may have been launched because he was a well respected teacher and had offered to cooperate with police to fight the insurgents.

Suwit joined the police on many occasions to hunt for insurgents in the area, Kreerin said.

School director Kanit Pumkaew said Suwit was a native of the district and had graduated from the school.

Suwit had stayed overnight at the school to prepare an exhibition that was scheduled to open yesterday. He went home early on Wednesday and was returning to school to attend the opening of the exhibition only to be killed, Kanit said.

The school administration cancelled the display and all classes.

Separately, in Yala province, a militant shot a village chief's assistant to death. Sang Pachae, 36 was attacked at his home by at least six gunmen dressed as government officials to mislead witnesses, according to police.

The Nation