Su-So is a quiet and remote village in Saba Yoi district, southern Thailand. About 70 percent of the villagers are Muslims.

Up to April 28, few outside Thailand had heard of the village in Songkhla Province. But all that changed when 19 youths were killed at dawn when they allegedly attempted to storm a police sub-station about 26km away.

They were aged between 18 and 26 years, and made up the local football team. Just three days before, it had won third place in the district football league.

The same day, 108 people were killed in the Muslim-majority southern provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala.

According to the Thai authorities, all were involved in militant activities, a claim that is resisted by the families of those involved.

About 250 people have been killed this year in southern Thailand, where several groups have led a long-running but fairly muted separatist movement.

However, the April incident - one of the most violent in recent history - has turned attention to the restive southern provinces.