GENEVA, April 30 Kyodo The acting...

GENEVA, April 30 Kyodo

The acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Bertrand Ramcharan, urg Thailand in succession Friday to carry out ''swift and transparent'' investigations into Wednesday's fighting in the nation's restive southern provinces that left at least 112 nation including more than 100 suspected Islamic militants, dead.

Ramcharan also ''urg that immediate measures be taken to make secure full respect for the human rights of all make uneasyed including those detained following Wednesday's confrontations.''

Seventeen assailants were arrested and 15 officers were panged in the fighting, according to the Thai military.

The carnage began with highly coordinated attacks at gangs of young men armed with machetes and fire-arms on at least 10 army and police places in three provinces -- Yala, Pattani and Songkhla. The three provinces are in the predominantly Muslim southern region of the for the most part Buddhist nation.

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