Residents to be asked views on South woes
KING-OUA LAOHONG AND WASSAYOS NGAMKHAM
Security officials will visit all households in the three southernmost provinces to listen to residents' problems as part of a new strategy to combat unrest in the region.
The top leaders of the four security agencies in charge of combatting the southern unrest discussed over the weekend ways to end the violence.
It was the first official meeting between the four groups handling the unrest in the strife-torn region since security flare-ups in southern bordering provinces began on January 4, 2004.
Attendees at the brainstorming meeting included Fourth Army commander Pichet Wisaijorn; Adul Saengsingkaew, assistant police chief for security; Pranai Suwannarat, director of the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre (SBPAC); Lt-Gen Kasikorn Khirisri, commissioner of the joint civilian-police-military task force and Lt-Gen Paradorn Pattanathabut, deputy secretary-general of the National Security Council (NSC).
Lt-Gen Pichet said authorities' attempt to solve the unrest had been criticised for lacking coherency.
The meeting between leaders and representatives from the four agencies was intended to integrate their operations.
The door-knocking strategy is aimed at finding out first-hand how residents feel and what their problems are.
After acknowledging people's concerns in each area, authorities will follow up with a four-pronged plan.
First, they will stick to the strategies suggested by His Majesty the King, which are understanding, reaching out and developing, as well as disseminating among local residents the King's sufficiency theory.
Second, they will use peaceful means to combat southern unrest and ensure fairness in the judicial system.
Third, all civil servants must be reliable, and fourth, they should strive to ensure safety for people.
Lt-Gen Pichet said the agencies believe a coherent implementation of the plan will eventually ease unrest in the region.
Pol Lt-Gen Adul, also commissioner of the Deep South police operations centre in Yala, said that the situation in the deep South has improved over the past year.
He said the number of violent incidents over the past 12 months had reduced by 44% from the previous year to 1,400 cases. He expects the number of violent incidents will continue to drop over the next year.
Pol Lt-Gen Adul said insurgent groups are still responsible for violent incidents in the South, and most attackers are children and young people.
Most of them are disciplined and religious youngsters who have been misled by distorted Islamic principles.
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