Thai government to appoint new panel to solve southern unrest

BANGKOK, April 29 (TNA) - Realizing the lack in solidarity in taming violence in the strife-torn southern region, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said on Sunday that her government had planned to establish a new committee to solve the problem as well as set up more police checkpoints besides injecting more budget into the region. Speaking to reporters at the Sirinthon Camp in Yarang district of Pattani province, Miss Yingluck said presently there were 66 agencies under 17 ministries taking care of the southern unrest. However, there was no solidarity among efforts, she said, adding that a committee would be appointed with an aim to solve the problems in line with government strategy. She said Deputy Prime Minister General Yuthasak Sasiprapha would be responsible for the setting up of the committee. Miss Yingluck added that innovative technology would be implemented by both the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre and the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) in suppressing insurgents in the troubled region. Asked whether an emergency decree imposed in the four provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla would be revoked soon, she said it had to be discussed first by concerned officials. On a government plan to boost the economy in the deep South, she said Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittirat Na-Ranong would meet the private sector and find ways to boost the deep southern economy, so that people could earn more, while youths have better education. (TNA)