Heightened security for PM’s visit to Narathiwat

Published on November 07, 2005 - Thaksin to present robes to monks; calls for more safety measures for locals

Officials beefed up security in Narathiwat province yesterday as Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra arrived for a two-day visit to give kathin merit to a Buddhist temple and inspect the predominantly Muslim region.

Thaksin spent last night at a Narathiwat hotel, which had more than 1,000 security guards on duty. Vehicles passing through the area where the prime minister was staying were carefully checked.

Thaksin will today give kathin robes to Buddhist monks at Wat Kao Kong in the Muslim-dominated province, enabling them to complete their vassa (retreat).

After three months in a temple, monks are required to take the kathin robes within one month otherwise they cannot complete their vassa and continue as monks if they choose.

Many temples in Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani cannot take the kathin as they have less than five monks in residence in accordance with Buddhist regulations.

Buddhist temples in the Muslim region are under threat following recent attacks by insurgents. Buddhists monks have been killed and temple property damaged. Only one or two monks have been staying in the temples during the recent Buddhist retreat.

Thaksin said earlier that he would tell authorities in the deep South to strengthen their security measures for local residents after a spate of violent incidents recently. Militants have not only attacked Buddhist temples but last month also raided villages to take more than 100 government-issued weapons from defence volunteers.

Police have issued 11 arrest warrants for suspects in connection with the weapons robberies, distributing the information to villages in 20 districts of the three mostly Muslim provinces. But so far they have been able to arrest only two of them.

A total of 24 suspects have been detained in connection with the storming of Wat Promprasith in Pattani’s Panare district last month in which an elderly monk and two temple boys were killed.

Thaksin said his visit and improved operations in the deep South could ease the situation and see mass arrests of suspects in the violence.

The Nation
Narathiwat