Violence in southern Thailand has prompted many rubber tappers to stay at home and could hit output from the world's top producer and exporter, traders and officials said on Wednesday.
"It will have a huge impact on rubber production. Many farmers are scared to go out and tap rubber," said Parser Tannest, head of the Office of the Rubber Plantation Aid Fund. "Supply could be hit as rubber tapping activities have been disrupted," he told Reuters by telephone from the southern province of Narathiwat.
The south is Thailand's main rubber growing area, producing about 90 percent of its natural rubber. Nearly 80 Muslims died in military custody in the southern province of Narathiwat suffocated while being transported in trucks to an army barracks after a violent demonstration.
On Monday's victims were among hundreds of Muslim men arrested after a rally by around 1,500 people was dispersed by troops firing live rounds, tear gas and water cannon outside the Tak Bai police station in Narathiwat.
Thailand's three most southern provinces, which have been hit by a wave of shootings, bombings and arson attacks this year, produce 200,000 tonnes of natural rubber a year.
Most of Thailand's annual output of about 2.4 million tonnes is sold to Japan, China and the United States.
The violence, the region's worst in months, prompted the government to impose a night curfew in some areas in Narathiwat, which could affect tapping, traders said.
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