Violence-Racked Southern Thailand Gets Aid

UNICEF Sends School Supplied To Violence-Racked Southern Thailand

With 30 schools destroyed and 5,000 students affected by violence in southern Thailand since the beginning of this year, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is sending school supplies to three provinces where confrontations between law enforcement officers and assailants killed 112 people last week.

"We are dismayed by the number of young people who have been caught up in the violence and tragically lost their lives, and also the damage done to schools," UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy said in a news release yesterday. "We urge everyone to respect children's rights to safe and healthy lives, including the right to go to school."

Teachers have been intimidated and there is a fear that some schools may not reopen after the current holiday due to security considerations, the agency said.

The supplies, including sports equipment, have been purchased by UNICEF with funds donated by the people of Thailand.

Acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Bertrand Ramcharan last week called on the authorities to quickly investigate the clashes in the provinces of Yala, Pattani and Songkla, and urged that immediate measures be taken to ensure full respect for the human rights of all concerned, including detainees.

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