The Army has taken over responsibility in 10 areas prone to violence in the deep South under a Southern Border Provinces Peace-building Command plan to stem spiralling unrest.

Under the SBPPC plan, police will keep the peace in “pacified areas”. Their main mission will be preventing the spread of the insurgency.

“In light of the escalation of violence, the SBPPC has adjusted its counter-insurgency measures to better ensure the safety of local residents,” command spokesman Colonel Somkuan Saengpataranetr said yesterday.

In areas heavily targeted by militants, the military will mount security sweeps to pre-empt terror attacks and protect local officials and citizens, Somkuan said.
The sweeps will be reviewed on a daily basis and adjusted to meet insurgency tactics.

In security jargon, the military will assume control over the contested zones while the police remain in charge of the protected zones, he said.

Somkuan refused to disclose which “contested areas” were being placed under military control, on the grounds that security could be compromised.

Interior Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya said 10 of 33 districts in the deep South were plagued by violence, and he was consulting district officials to solve the unrest.

“For example, I have instructed Chanae district officials in Narathiwat to try to map out a systematic plan to restore peace,” he said.

Chanae, a strife-torn district with the highest number of violent incidents, is where school principal Kobkul Runsaewa was shot dead by a suspected militant on Friday.

Defence Minister Thamarak Isarangura said authorities were close to identifying the gunmen responsible for the teacher’s murder.

Education Ministry permanent secretary Khunying Kasama Varavarn said Kobkul’s family would receive Bt1 million, paid by a life insurance policy and a teachers’ fund.

The ministry would organise a Royally sponsored funeral attended by Deputy Education Minister Rung Kaewdaeng, Kasama said.

The ministry is also considering a proposal to help teachers buy used guns to protect themselves and to help boost their morale, she said.