New national police chief visits Thai far South

YALA, THAILAND, October 10 (TNA) - Newly-appointed National Police Chief Police General Adul Saengsingkaew visited the violence-plagued Thai far South Wednesday to inspect and follow up security developments in the region, apart from laying down his policies and giving his morale support to affected people. Upon his arrival at the police command center for southern border provinces in Muang district of Yala province, he called a meeting with local authorities concerned during which he ordered his subordinates to take precautions and to carefully check suspicious vehicles to prevent bombings in crowded areas, after acknowledging that violent attacks have continued in the deep South. The new national police chief also instructed the quick installation of additional surveillance cameras, before travelling to adjacent Pattani and Narathiwat provinces Wednesday afternoon. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapa told reporters that he has ordered Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha to step up security measures to protect local people in the southernmost Thai region, particularly on October 12, as insurgents have threatened people not to work on Fridays and the coming Friday marks the foundation day of the Barasi Revolusi Nasional (BRN), a strong insurgency group in the region. The deputy prime minister insisted that the Thai government will not make Fridays holidays as demanded by the southernmost insurgents and urged local people not to bow to the threat. The deputy premier acknowledged that there are now some 15 areas at risk of violent attacks in Thailand's three southern border provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani. (TNA)