Army chief assigns measures to deal with unrest in Thai far South

BANGKOK, October 13 (TNA) - New Army Commander-in-Chief General Udomdej Sitabutr has ordered parties concerned to implement six measures to deal with violent unrest in the Thai far South. Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) Spokesman Colonel Banpot Pulpian told a press conference on Monday that General Udomdej gave the order to chiefs of army units in the violence-plagued Thai deep South, including those in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, during a special meeting via video conference earlier in the day. The ISOC spokesman said General Udomdej made the instruction after he was briefed by Commanding General of the 4th Army Area Command Lieutenant General Prakan Cholayuth on arson attacks on six schools in Pattani’s Thung Yang Daeng and Mayo Districts on October 12. According to the spokesman, the army chief's six instructed measures include increasing army patrols in sensitive areas at night time, monitoring the updated situation and reviewing local security measures on regular basis, maintaining core principles of border patrols, watching out and controlling sensitive areas and routes, while deploying more border patrol police or soldiers, if needed, and inspecting suspicious targets in accordance with evidence and reviewing security officers' operations every three months. The ISOC spokesman stated that Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC) Secretary-General Panu Uthairat also proposed that an alarming system and close circuit television (CCTV) cameras be stalled at every school, more civilian defence volunteers be deployed and village defence teams and sub-district defence teams be tasked with protecting schools and roads or routes connecting to schools respectively, while the schools damaged by Sunday's arson attacks be urgently repaired or rebuilt within six months, funded by the Ministry of Education's budget. (TNA)