Article 135

Queen, prince visit widows' village
 

WASSANA NANUAM

Narathiwat _ Her Majesty the Queen yesterday visited and gave moral support to widows and orphans of men killed violent attacks in the three southern border provinces who are now preparing to settle down on a 662-rai land plot in Muang district that she donated.

The Queen, accompanied by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, yesterday visited the land in Rotan Batu village, which she bought for 20 million baht for the bereaved families to have their own homes and earn a living.

She gave two rai of land and 50kg of rice to each family, and delivered the first five houses under the assistance project to four widows and an orphan.

An additional 145 houses are being built by the military for the families. Thirty-seven will be completed by December and the remainder over three years.

``The houses are very nice and comfortable to live in. Thank you, all soldiers who have helped build them. And I wish all of you [the widows! ] a happy life here. Be good friends, help each other, be strong and move on,'' the Queen told the 50 widows.

The Queen also went into one of the houses and looked at its kitchen before visiting a vegetable plantation, a duck farm and a rice field behind the house.

She also suggested the use of 300 rai of the land for running a pioneer farm and an occupational centre for the widows to learn how to cultivate crops, raise animals and produce handicrafts, saying she would visit the village every year.

Mrs Jehrortipadeh Tehroh, the 40-year-old wife of Pol Snr Sgt-Maj Arsae Tehroh, 55, who was shot dead in Pattani's Sai Buri district on Sept 11, said: ``Being here and living in the house visited by the Queen makes me proud. I now have a job and my own home. I was so happy I cried as no one has taken care of us widows and made us feel secure like this.''

Mrs Rayrai Saikaew, 31, wife of 34-year-old school security guard Mongkol Saikaew, shot dead in M! uang district on June 16, agreed.

She still misses her husband very much, but said she did not feel abandoned any more because she was being cared for by the Queen.