Thailand Honors 165 Slain Security Men
King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit presided over a mass cremation Thursday of 165 soldiers, police and defense volunteers killed in Thailand border defense and anti-insurgency incidents last year. The victims included 116 soldiers, 40 defense volunteers, six policemen, two navy personnel and one civilian volunteer, military-run television reported.
In the annual rite, the king lighted a ceremonial flame during the cremation of the 163 Buddhists at a temple on the outskirts of Bangkok. The two Muslims were honored in a ceremony in the south, where there are large Muslim populations.
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