Thai-Malaysian border closed

Narathiwat border crossings sealed off

Border crossings along the Sungai Kolok river in Narathiwat province have been ordered closed in an effort to tighten security and smuggling between Thailand and Malaysia.

The closure of all border crossings in the strife-torn southern province yesterday was ordered by Lt Col Sarawut Chaiyasit, commander of Narathiwat Task Force 36.

He ordered troops to be on full alert along the border to prevent the smuggling of illicit goods into the country.

In Yala, security has been tightened throughout the province for fear of possible revenge attacks following the killing of six suspected insurgents in nearby Pattani province.

Yala Governor Kritsada Boonyarat yesterday called a meeting with more than 200 village volunteers to seek their cooperation to jointly patrol communities with security officers.

Mr Kritsada said local residents have teamed up with officials to guard their communities to prevent insurgents or ill-intentioned groups from carrying out violent attacks in Yala's municipal areas.

Yala police chief Pol Maj Gen Sayant Krasaesaen yesterday ordered all police stations in eight districts to be on full alert for possible rebel attacks in retaliation for the deaths of the six suspects.

In Pattani, an employee of a local firm was shot dead in a drive-by shooting in Muang district yesterday.

Thanakotchakorn Jaiphum, 29, was attacked while riding his motorcycle to pick up one of his children at a child care centre in Muang district.

Meanwhile, 4th Army Region Commander Lt Gen Pichet Wisaijorn brushed aside the idea of autonomy for the South, saying the current decentralisation scheme had already given power to locals.

"Talking about allocating power to the local people, we've been doing so for many years. The Tambon Administration Organisation has a bigger budget than the district office and the Provincial Administration Organisation has a bigger chunk than the provincial office, so what more do you need?" Lt Gen Pichet told a forum at the the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand on Wednesday.

Apart from decentralisation, the government had given funds to support ponoh schools and the King had supported the building of some mosques.

"They all have the freedom and liberty to exercise their cultural and religious practices.

"The southern problem, in my opinion, mainly stems from mistrust and distrust between local people and local government officials and it will take a long while to see the results. But it's already on track," he said.

Thailand had seen some success in dousing the southern fire and the local people knew well the situation had been improving, Lt Gen Pichet affirmed.

Of the two million people in the deep South, there were 8,000-10,000 perpetrators of violence and this number had to be cut via self-sufficiency philosophy development projects, he said.

He conceded the figure was quite large because many wrongdoers were relatives of locals and took refuge in villages.

The 4th Army chief defended the state-sponsored distribution of guns in the far South, seen by critics as part of the cause of the non-stop violence.

"This [distribution of guns] is for self-defence, and weapons used in incidents are different from the shotguns used by officials," he said.

Bangkok Post