The army is looking to expand a pilot project in the South that has attracted more than 12,000 civilian volunteers who watch for signs of violence.
The Internal Security Operations Command said it wanted to increase the level of public participation in the southern security situation, having already attracted a large number of volunteers.
Known as the “Thung Yang Daeng model”, the surveillance project is designed to be integrated with security operations.
The project, launched in Pattani’s Thung Yang Daeng district, combines the resources and manpower of military, police and civilian units.
Deputy Defence Minister Udomdej Sitabutr, who is also army commander, said last year the model would feature civilian groups working as tambon and village protection units to provide security for teachers and schools.
Isoc said the pilot programme had shown signs of promise and would slowly be expanded to other parts of the South.
Gen Udomdej yesterday visited Isoc Region 4 at Sirindhorn military camp. Isoc spokesman Banpot Pulpian said Gen Udomdej was briefed on the 20 violent incidents that occurred in the South last month.
Of these, nine were bombings and five involved guns. Five were categorised as attempts to stir up unrest and the last was a clash between security forces and a group of armed attackers.
The latest incident happened yesterday morning when a buried bomb was detonated in Raman district of Yala province.
No one was injured as the explosion took place after its intended targets, two army vehicles, had passed. The bomb was estimated at between 50 and 80kg.
Groups involved in the southern unrest were using social media to disseminate propaganda, which has previously been aimed at discrediting state officials, Col Banpot said.
He warned that insurgent groups continued to be dangerous. In another project designed to engage the community, Isoc has almost finished installing communication radio centres at 290 tambons in the deep South. So far, 286 of the centres have been set up, allowing people to use walkie-talkies to alert authorities of trouble.
In other efforts to boost security in the region, Isoc has turned 162 villages into "model communities" adopting the sufficiency economy philosophy into their way of life.
Col Banpot said this promoted community unity and faith, and fought against drug problems by highlighting the roles of religious institutions in the campaign against narcotics.
Col Banpot acknowledged the violence was not all from insurgents, saying state officials were sometimes to blame.
To mitigate this, Isoc has records of state officials with histories of violence or bad behaviour. Col Banpot said this was a bid to deter them from involvement with drugs. They are also banned from using weapons, he said. A total of 257 guns have been collected from local leaders for inspection, he said.
In cases of violence that are proven to have been driven by personal conflicts, Isoc has set up centres for conflict mediation at the district level, he said. Of 39 conflicts that fall under that category, 19 have been mediated through these new centres, he said.