Narathiwat: Authorities will ramp up security surveillance and boost efforts to protect residents along the southern border as they continue to push for peace across the deep South.
Representatives of the government, led by Gen Pornsak Poolsawat, met senior officials from the Internal Security Operations Command's (Isoc) Fourth Region in Muang district yesterday to brainstorm ways to improve security and usher in peace in the restive South. The meeting was also attended by the police.
The meeting focused on finding solutions to the region's security problems, as well as ways to enforce the law against separatist elements keen on disrupting peace in the South.
Gen Pornsak said participants shared views on dealing with security issues on the ground. The priority, he said, is to make sure state officials can carry out their duties and ensure residents can go about their businesses safely.
He said persistent security problems in the South have allowed illegal activities, such as the smuggling of contraband goods and weapons as well as drug trafficking, to flourish.
"Surveillance along the border will be stepped up to close the escape routes used by those keen on stirring up violence," he said. "It's important that state officials are protected from harm as they help ensure the safety of the region's residents."
Gen Pornsak said residents' trust in the authorities must be rebuilt. "Now is the time to turn words into action," he said.
The so-called Chor Por Pithak Puenti ("Chor Por Area Protection") unit, which works closely with residents to keep an eye out for insurgents, was also discussed. The unit works alongside a squad which patrols mountainous areas to search for insurgent hideouts.