Government resorts to good governance in addressing unrest in Thai Far South

PATTANI, THAILAND, November 7 (TNA) - The government resorts to good governance in solving violent problems in the Thai far South. Colonel Pramote Prom-in, Spokesman of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) Region 4 Forward Command, insisted on the policy on Friday. The spokesman said that, based on the policy, the government will seek solutions to violence in the Thai deep South through peaceful means and legal principles of equality, justice and respect of human rights. The spokesman stated that the government will also promote participation of all local sectors in playing a role in overseeing troubled areas, build strong communities in which they can defence themselves and “not to fight against the troublemakers”. According to the spokesman, the government is now on the second phase of solving the violent problems in the Thai far South, which began in 2011, the operation of which has been focused on training village defence volunteers and paramilitary defence volunteers to protect themselves and their communities and to also inform concerned authorities of untoward incidents in time. In an attempt to erase misunderstanding among the public, the spokesman explained that the Thai government's plan to hand 2,700 assault rifles to people in the deep South are meant for defending themselves and communities from attacks by insurgents. Death toll from violent incidents in the Thai far South has exceeded 5,000, excluding several other injuries, since January 2004. Meanwhile, Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha announced he will visit the troubled southernmost Thai region, with the date to be later fixed. (TNA)