Thai PM visits in insurgency victims in troubled deep South

BANGKOK, April 7 (TNA) - Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra early Sunday left for the violence-plagued southern province of Yala to visit officials who have been wounded from fighting insurgents operating in the troubled deep south and to attend a Buddhist religious ceremony of slain Yala deputy governor Issara Thongthawat who died two days ago after his car was hit by a bomb planted by the roadside by insurgents. Accompanied by several senior officials including Interior Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan, National Security Council chief Lt. Gen. Paradon Pattanathabutr, Public Health Minister doctor Pradit Sintavanarong and national police chief Pol. Gen. Adul Saengsingkaew, the prime minister was welcomed by Yala governor upon her arrival in Yala province. Yingluck and the senior officials later visited wounded officials at a Yala hospital and attended a briefing on the overall violence situation in the region given by the provincial governor. She also plans to meet governors of Pattani, Narathiwat and Songkhla provinces. The prime minister and the officials are scheduled to pay respect and attend a religious ceremony of Issara at a temple in Nakhon Si Thammarat this evening. A royal cremation ceremony for the killed Yala deputy governor will be held on April 27. Issara was travelling with Chaowalit Chairuek, Yala’s chief of Security Affairs Group, in a car in Bannang Sata district on Friday when their car was hit by the bomb. They were heading for a food fair in Betong district when the incident occurred. Both of them died while the driver was critically wounded in the incident. To date, more than 5,000 people have been killed from the renewed insurgency attacks which have continued more than nine years in the four restive southern provinces. (TNA)