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 BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Dozens of bombings and shootings in southern Thailand left eight people dead, marking the first time Muslim insurgents had simultaneously struck the four provinces where they operate. The country's military-backed government responded Monday with plans to tighten security.
The onslaught began Sunday night as thousands were celebrating Lunar New Year, and an army spokesman said the insurgents were trying to scare ethnic Chinese who celebrate the holiday into fleeing the predominantly Muslim region.
"That's why they attacked on Sunday, the day that Chinese people celebrate after they pay homage to their ancestors. The insurgents do not want people of other religions to live with them," said the spokesman, Col. Akara Thiprote. Ethnic Chinese in southern Thailand are mostly Buddhists and Taoists.
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