E/CN.4/2005/61/Add.1 Page 59 the building immediately, together with their movable possessions. If they failed to comply, the police allegedly warned that force would be used. Thailand Communications and replies received 227. On 14 June 2004, the Special Rapporteur sent a communication to the Government of Thailand regarding a Chinese Buddhist shrine in the province of Pattani which was reportedly vandalized on 31 May 2004 in ongoing strife in southern Thailand, where Muslims are in the majority, following the alleged beheading of a Buddhist farmer on 29 May 2004 in Narathiwat province, who was found with a note threatening to target more “innocent Buddhists”. The Lim Ko Nhieo shrine is next to the historic Kru Sae mosque, where security forces allegedly killed 32 suspected militants during clashes on 28 April 2004. It was reported that at least 200 people had been killed, including about 100 civilians and civil servants, in scores of random attacks since violence broke out in early January 2004. 228. By letter dated 6 July 2004, the Government recalled that it had on earlier occasions already provided facts and clarifications with regard to that situation to the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and to Mr. Bertrand Ramcharan, then Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights, who had also expressed similar concerns. 229. In that connection, the Government wished to reiterate that the recent spate of incidents and escalating violence, which resulted in the death and injury of hundreds of innocent civilians of both Muslim and Buddhist religions, were attempts by those who aimed to destroy the peaceful coexistence of the groups in the three southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat. The situation involved several groups with vested interests such as illegal trading, human trafficking, drugs and weapons smuggling, as well as local politics and deliberate attempts to distort the Koran to undermine the social and religious harmony and create instability. 230. The Government indicated that it does not have a discriminatory policy against any religion. Every citizen, regardless of his or her religion or faith, is entitled to equal rights and protection under the law. All efforts had been undertaken to peacefully address the situation in the region and to prosecute those who caused the injuries or fatalities as well as damage to the lives and properties of innocent persons, including in the two tragic cases raised by the Special Rapporteur. The Thai Government assured the Special Rapporteur that all suspects and criminals would be given equal treatment and fairly judged under the law. 231. The Government further stated that, recognizing the importance of addressing the root causes of the situation, it had adopted both short- and long-term measures by taking a three-pronged approach. Firstly, it focused on promptly promoting safety and security to ensure normal living conditions in the communities while putting an end to violence. Secondly, measures addressing educational, religious and cultural factors would be strengthened as they were believed to be essential for the revitalization of interreligious and intercultural understanding among the people. Thirdly, economic and social