Article 60

Troops in troubled areas will almost double

By Wassana Nanuam

The army is deploying nine more battalions of more than 7,000 troops to the troubled provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala, nearly doubling the number of troops in the three provinces.

An army source said the reinforcements are necessary, judging from the ongoing attacks on police, military and civilian targets. The army expected it would take three to five years to bring the situation back to normal and 10 to 20 years to do away with the separatist ideology from the region.

In the latest violent incident, a judge was shot and killed in Pattani on Friday.

The violence began with a raid on a military camp in Cho Airong district of Narathiwat province by Muslim militants on Jan 4. Four soldiers were killed and 413 firearms were stolen.

Following a subsequent spate of attacks, including simultaneous raids on government posts on April 28, more troops were sent to troubled areas.

Currently, 10 battalions of troops _ seven battalions of the army and three of the navy _ are in the three provinces.

Starting this month, six more army battalions of the Fourth Army began to deploy there.

From next month, three other battalions will be sent to the area from the First Army in the Central Region and Second Army in the Northeast.

Of the three battalions, one from the Bangkok-based 11th Infantry Regiment will be deployed at the Thai-Malaysian border in Yala.

One rapid deployment battalion from the Lop Buri-based 31st Infantry Regiment, specially trained to combat terrorist activities, will operate near the border in Narathiwat.

Another battalion from the Yasothon-based 16th Infantry Regiment will be operating in Pattani and Yala.

Since Her Majesty the Queen has taken a retreat at Taksin Ratchanives Palace in Narathiwat from Sept 4, four additional battalions have been deployed to provide security in the province _ three battalions from the 21st Infantry Regiment in Chon Buri and one from the Bangkok-based 1st Infantry Regiment.

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn will visit the South and meet Muslims at the central mosque of Pattani on Tuesday.

Additional forces will be deployed to beef up security.

Gen Winai Pattiyakul, secretary-general of the National Security Council, said the reinforcements are necessary as existing troops are not enough for sweeping operations and a wider area for extensive patrols.

Gen Winai said the situation in the troubled South should be brought under control in three years. After that an ``ideological war'' will follow in order to do away with separatist ideology.

The NSC chief admitted authorities had in the past been complacent, believing that separatism no longer existed. This allowed those in the separatist movement plenty of time to go to work. Religious teachers, or ustaz, and ponoh school students were found to have taken a leading role in stirring up unrest. ``These teachers and ponoh school students could freely go to study abroad, especially in Middle East countries. So the NSC is considering putting controls on them,'' he said.

Gen Winai said the NSC and the Southern Border Provinces Peace-Building Command are drafting a ``road map'' to a peaceful South to be used as a long-term policy for 20 concerned ministries to follow.