Pattani: Anutin, along with the head of the peace talks team, visited the southern border provinces to acknowledge the worrying situation and urged governors, police, military, and administrative officials to ensure public safety. Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Anutin Charnvirakul, gave an interview before his inspection trip to Pattani and Songkhla provinces, stating that today’s visit would be to inspect the readiness of the area.
According to Thai News Agency, General Somsak Rungsita, former Secretary-General of the National Security Council (NSC) and head of the Southern Border Provinces Peace Dialogue Team, will be joining the team to listen to the situation and assess the readiness of security forces, including police officers, in maintaining security. He will also hold a meeting with provincial governors, invited by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior, to discuss the situation. Anutin acknowledged that the situation in the area is concerning.
Regarding today’s field visit, whether progress will be seen in the drafting of a strategy for resolving issues in the southern border region, Anutin stated that he will request General Nataphol Nakphanit, Minister of Defense, to provide detailed explanations. However, he will visit the area today to observe the situation, as there have been two or three incidents in the past, including a gold shop robbery in Su-ngai Kolok District, Narathiwat Province. Therefore, he will instruct police officers to strictly monitor the public and will also visit soldiers injured while assisting in the gold shop robbery.
Regarding the appointment of the head of the Southern Border Provinces Peace Dialogue Team, Anutin stated that efforts are being made to improve everything, while negotiations are taking place within the framework of the team, parallel to the government.
As for the field visit this time, Mr. Sihasak Phuangketkaew, Minister of Foreign Affairs, when going to the area, will coordinate with the Malaysian facilitator of the negotiations. The Prime Minister confirmed that continuous coordination is ongoing. When the Minister of Foreign Affairs learned he would be traveling with the Minister of Defense, he requested to go to the area to see for himself.
When asked if the past two or three incidents were caused by the same group of perpetrators, Anutin stated that he had been receiving reports consistently from the military, police, and administrative authorities.