Official policy in troubled Thai Far South remains intact

BANGKOK, July 9 (TNA) - Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan has insisted on pursuing the official policy in the Thai Far South in order to restore peace and order in the southernmost region. Defence Ministry Assistant Spokesman Colonel Patcharasak Patirupanont told journalists on July 8 that General Prawit, who oversees national security, has instructed authorities at the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), Region 4, to proceed with the official policy on holding talks with representatives of insurgency groups in the Thai Deep South to bring about and sustain peace and order in the southern border region. The assistant spokesman stated that General Prawit has also ordered the southern ISOC authorities to keep on working together with local religious leaders to take care of the life and property of people in their jurisdiction. Besides, the southern ISOC authorities have been assigned to continue supporting developing projects in the Thai Far South to improve the quality of life of local people. The assistant spokesman said that the caretaker deputy prime minister and defence minister also expressed his regret to last Sunday's violent incident, in which two defence volunteers were shot dead by suspected insurgents in the southernmost Yala Province, while the other was injured together with a local villager, ordering local security and administrative authorities to intensify their surveillance to prevent and suppress insurgency plots in the region. The assistant spokesman quoted the caretaker deputy prime minister and defence minister as calling on the public to condemn the inhuman attack and local security and law enforcement units to urgently track down the suspected insurgents for the decisive legal action. (TNA)