South Dovani

[Wu Han]

31 Dead, Hundreds Injured as SLF Leaders Gunned Down at Rocket Festival
Protests have rocked the region, while the SLF has vowed to rearm after the massacre, which officials blame on UPM militants
14 June 5640 (OOC: Post-dated)

Na Sap, Suman – A festive atmosphere devolved into a scene of horror today as gunmen opened fire on Sumanese Liberation Front (SLF) leaders during a Rocket Festival event in the outskirts of the capital of Suman Province, Na Sap, leaving at least 31 people dead and more than 200 injured.

The attack occurred during the annual merit-making ceremony celebrated by ethnic Sumanese communities across South Dovani, when thousands had gathered to launch ceremonial homemade rockets and fireworks to mark the beginning of the rainy season and encourage the coming of the rains. Following ceremonial addresses delivered by leaders of the SLF, witnesses claim to have seen several men wearing plain clothes but bearing the red-and-black arm badge insignia associated with the Unified People’s Militia (UPM) move toward the stage before opening fire with handguns and automatic rifles, throwing grenades and other improvised explosives. 

Panic erupted through the crowd as explosions and gunfire echoed across the festival grounds. “We thought it was part of the fireworks at first,” said Somnuek Phonchai, a local vendor. “Then people started falling, and everyone ran for their lives.” 

Among the dead were Somchai Naewbun, the SLF’s longtime military leader, Raiya Thongsap, the group’s deputy political leader, as well as six members of the SLF's twelve-member Coordinating Council. At least four of the attackers were stopped by festival goers and beaten to death, while the rest are thought to have escaped in the chaotic aftermath of the attack. 

The SLF, formed in the early-5500s, fought for decades against the communist-era RECSD regime for autonomy and recognition of the Sumanese ethnic minority. While the SLF never officially signed a ceasefire with the government of South Dovani, the group voluntarily disarmed the majority of its fighters during negotiations with President Surasak Darawan in 5576. 

However, in the evening following the bloodshed, the SLF’s remaining leadership issued a televised statement on local broadcaster SBSC, vowing to “rearm and remobilize for the defence of the Sumanese people." The group accused the UPM of carrying out the “massacre of unarmed civilians,” while so far the UPM has not claimed responsibility, and conflicting accounts have fuelled speculation and conspiracy theories, primarily on social media, that the assault may have been a false-flag operation by elements within the South Dovani military seeking to destabilize South Dovani's eastern region.

“The attackers’ use of UPM insignia is suspiciously conspicuous,” said Dr. Patham Phraewchai, a conflict researcher at Khattaya University. “As such, some online seem to suspect that this attack was orchestrated to justify the massive military presence in the east, as well as provide cause for the military to target the SLF in the case of their rearmament, while eliminating the organization's highest leaders.” 

Prime Minister Prasert Thanomchai (UCF) condemned the killings, pledging to “restore order and bring justice to the whole of the Hanzenese people” and "eliminate the UPM terrorists once and for all." President Kob Suchinda declared a state of emergency for the Suman Province, with the military imposing curfews and checkpoints across major transport routes. However, the declaration has been met with growing public anger and grief with thousands of protestors flooding the streets of major towns and villages across Suman Province, many condemning both the attackers and the central government’s perceived failure to protect local communities. Outside of Suman, many have voiced their criticism of the military deployment in the East, the largest in decades, for failing to prevent such an attack.

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The Khattaya Post (คัทยาโพสต์) is a major newspaper and online media company headquartered in the city of Khattaya, South Dovani. 
The paper is owned and published by the Khattaya Post Company. It is generally politically moderate, but economically liberal.

khattayapost.com