BANGKOK: Anger is on the rise in Thailand after two soldiers gave themselves up to police after a 16-year-old Muslim girl in Thailand's violence hit southern province of Pattanti was raped, police and media confirmed on Wednesday. But the reports have left the Muslim population angered that the military had not taken swift action against the soldiers immediately and that the incident happened in the first place. “It is disgusting that in our country, soldiers think they can ruin lives and use violence against our women,” said a Sheikh from the southern part of the country. “We know the soldiers are guilty, but if the government doesn't take hard action, we will rise up,” the sheikh told Bikyamasr.com on Wednesday, warning the government that Muslims “will not stand by and allow our honor to be put in the mud.” Privates Winai Klangwichai and Somyos Jantharaphut surrendered Tuesday in Pattani city, 700 kilometres south of Bangkok, to face charges of gang rape and forcefully separating a girl from her parents, the Bangkok Post reported. Winai was accused of raping the girl in January while Somyos allegedly filmed the act and posted the clip on the Internet, sparking a police investigation into the incident. Thailand's three southernmost provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala are the only majority-Muslim provinces in the predominantly Buddhist nation. A separatist conflict has simmered there for years. The violence has claimed at least 5,243 lives over the past 8 years. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/EeI7J Tags: featured, Girl, Muslim, Rape, Thailand Section: East Asia, Human Rights, Latest News, Women
