(New York) – Separatist insurgents in Thailand’s southern border provinces have committed an apparent series of bombings against civilians that may amount to crimes against humanity, Human Rights Watch said today.

Insurgents detonated two bombs on August 23, 2016, following multiple bomb and arson attacks on August 11 and 12. At about 10:40 p.m. on August 23, a bomb detonated at Southern View Hotel in downtown Pattani province. The explosion caused no casualties but drove panicked people to run to a nearby carpark. A second, larger bomb hidden in a hospital ambulance about 40 to 50 meters away exploded at about 11 p.m. One woman, Oraphan Sriuenhat, who worked at a food shop in front of the hotel, was killed. At least 30 people in the heavily populated area were injured. The hotel, shops, and homes were damaged by the blast.

Thai security personnel inspect the site of bomb attacks at Southern View Hotel in Pattani Province on August 23, 2016. (C)2016 Khaosod.

Thai security personnel inspect the site of bomb attacks at Southern View Hotel in Pattani Province on August 23, 2016.

“The renewed bombings by Thailand’s separatists show incredible depravity towards civilians,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Such attacks are war crimes, but the apparent planning behind them suggests crimes against humanity.”

The recent bombings used methods of attack long employed by armed separatist groups in predominantly ethnic Malay Muslim areas of southern Thailand, Human Rights Watch said. A police investigation also found evidence strongly suggesting that separatist groups were responsible for a string of explosions and arson attacks in seven tourist towns on August 11 and 12, that killed 4 civilians and wounded 35 others. Taken together, these attacks indicate a deliberate plan to attack and kill civilians that amount to crimes against humanity, Human Rights Watch said.

Crimes against humanity consist of specific criminal acts committed on a widespread or systematic basis as part of an “attack on a civilian population,” meaning there is some degree of planning or policy to commit the crimes. Such acts include murder and “other inhumane acts of a similar character intentionally causing great suffering or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health.” International law protects “any” civilian population from attack, and there is no requirement that the victims are linked to any particular side of an armed conflict.

The renewed bombings by Thailand’s separatists show incredible depravity towards civilians. Such attacks are war crimes, but the apparent planning behind them suggests crimes against humanity.