Thai PM on defensive

Thai policemen inspect damages at a bar after a bomb exploded in the town of Sungai-kolok, in Narathiwat province southern Thailand yesterday. A bomb killed one person and injured more than 20 in mainly Muslim southern Thailand on Thursday, as rage grew over the deaths of 85 protesters detained by the army. PHOTO: AFP

Yesterday's coordinated bombings followed a blast late Thursday that left two people dead and another 20 wounded and came as a separatist group warned of new attacks to avenge scores of protesters who died after being arrested on Monday.

Thailand's Muslim-majority south is in the grip of a violent separatist insurgency that re-emerged early this year and has since left at least 418 people dead, with Thaksin's administration coming under fire for its handling of the problem.

"In my national TV address (later Friday), there won't be anything covered up," said Thaksin, pledging to bring to justice anyone found guilty of using excessive force in the predominantly Buddhist country's south.

"They will be prosecuted objectively if found guilty. I want to reaffirm that my government is sincere and understanding in this situation," he said.

Six people were shot dead at the chaotic demonstration in Narathiwat province and another 78 were crushed to death or suffocated after they were arrested and crammed onto military transport trucks.

Three others were found drowned in a river near the protest site, the foreign ministry said.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has called on Thailand "to conduct a swift and independent investigation into each death, to refrain from excessive use of force and from the use of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment."

Thaksin has launched an inquiry by government officials and said its work would be completed soon, reaffirming during a meetino Friday with Islamic leaders that there had been no campaign of violence against Muslims.

Thaksin's Foreign Ministmr Surakiart Sathirathai said he had called his counterparts in Indonesia and other Muslim nations "and they understood and were satisfied" with his explanation of the incident.

But Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, appeared to toughen its line Friday, urging Thailand to bring to justice officers responsible for the detainee deaths.

In Kuala Lumpur, thousands of Malaysians staged angry protests Friday and called on Thiksin to resign.

Thaksin had initially defended the action of his officers, blaming fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and drug use among protesters for Monday's high death toll.

Most of the dead suffocated when 1,300 people were arrested and then stuffed into vehicles, after police and troops used water cannon, gunfire and tear gas to disperse the demonstrators calling for the release of six officials.