As more than 300 schools in Narathiwat province shut down yesterday in the wake of a fatal attack on two teachers earlier in the week, the government remained vague about how to better protect educational personnel from the raging violence in the deep South.
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who oversees security affairs, yesterday expressed condolences to the relatives of Wilas Phetprom and his wife Khomkham.
In their early 50s, the teachers were gunned down while on their way to a market in Narathiwat on Tuesday morning.
Suthep vowed to look into the details of their slaying and see how security measures could be intensified. However, he said the government had in fact already put in place stringent measures to protect teachers by offering accommodation units within school compounds and security escorts.
According to him, the attack on the Phetproms took place at a time when the couple were attending to personal business, which meant they had left home without a security escort.
Asked about the decision by Narathiwat schools to shut down for at least three days, Suthep said the government would talk to the local teachers and try to sort out the problem.
Boonsom Thongsriplai, who chairs the Confederation of Teachers in the Three Southern Border Provinces, said his group had a resolution whereby teachers could suspend classes whenever they felt unsafe.
Yesterday, most of the 365 schools across Narathiwat closed their doors in response to the deadly attack on Wilas and his wife.
"We are having discussions on whether schools in Yala and Pattani should close down too," Boonsom said. "Perhaps some of the schools in risky zones will do so."
He said his confederation would no longer propose security plans to the relevant agencies, because their previously proposed measures - now implemented - had been unable to stop the attacks on teachers.
"We will let the security agencies handle this issue," he added.
The confederation has urged Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to prioritise resolving the unrest in the deep South.
For those teachers killed during the separatist violence, the confederation believes the victims should be promoted posthumously in line with the practice for slain security officials.
Meanwhile, Piyaporn Phetprom, 20, was grieving over the deaths of her parents. "My siblings and I have no idea how to live on," the third-year university student said.
Her two sisters are still studying, too.
Education Minister Chinnaworn Boonyakiat, Education Ministry permanent secretary Chaleaw Yusemarak, Fourth Army Region chief Lt-General Pichet Wisaijorn and Narathiwat Governor Thanon Vejjakornkanont yesterday attended the funeral of Wilas and Khomkham at Wat Lamphu in Narathwiat.
At the funeral, Chinnaworn presented Bt1million to the victims' children from the teacher welfare fund. He also handed over financial aid and compensation from two other schemes.
Pichet also handed over compensation from a project for people affected by the unrest in the deep South.
Chinnaworn said his ministry would consider urgently recruiting the Phetproms' eldest daughter as a government teacher.
Pattama Phetprom, 24, is currently a graduate student. She has also applied for a job with the ministry.
The royally sponsored cremation ceremony for Wilas and Khomkham is scheduled to take place on Saturday.