Top security authorities visit Thai far South

PATTANI, August 10 (TNA) - Deputy Prime Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapa, who supervises security affairs, led other top security authorities to visit the Thai far South today to follow up security operations in the insurgency-plagued southern border region. Accompanied by Defence Minister Air Chief Marshal Sukumpol Suwanatat, Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha and Deputy National Police Chief Police General Adul Saengsingkaew, General Yuthasak visited the Sirindhorn Camp in Yarang District of Pattani Province, where he called a meeting with officials of the southern outpost of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) to discuss the updated security situation in the Thai deep South. The top Thai security authorities also met local administrators and religious leaders. General Prayuth told journalists, meanwhile, that he was visiting the Thai far South as a member of the government’s newly-formed strategic committee tasked with solving problems in the southernmost Thai region, noting that the panel is coordinating security operations with officials of 17 concerned ministries, and that the formation of the strategic committee showed that the government has been seriously solving problems in the Thai far South. Regarding to the government’s imposition of safety zones in business areas in the Thai deep South, communities and attack-plagued areas, the army chief acknowledged that the safety zones have been operated for a long time and the government implemented the measure for the sake of public safety. The Thai army chief admitted that it is difficult for local security authorities to prevent militants from planting bombs at night, as a curfew has not been imposed in the troubled southern border region.(TNA)