Elite Army Security Stepped Up In Bangkok, Southern Provinces

[george]

Elite Army security stepped up in capital, southern provinces

BANGKOK: -- ISOC, Thailand's Internal Security Operations Command, has braced for stepped-up operations in the southern border provinces as well as concerted missions to maintain law and order in the Thai capital, ISOC spokesman Col. Thanathip Sawangsaeng said Thursday.

Chaired by Council for National Security (CNS) chairman Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, Thursday's meeting of ISOC officials discussed the security missions in Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani provinces, including the necessity for scanners to monitor explosives and ammunition, to be provided under a Bt4 million budget, while the authorities will continue to combat insurgents who had caused unrest throughout the region.

In addition, AU 23 patrol planes will search high terrains and remote areas close to railway tracks for possible insurgent movement, the ISOC spokesman said.

Meanwhile, the First Army Region surrounding the capital has been prepared to join the police in maintaining law and order in Bangkok in the wake of a prolonged anti-junta rally at Sanam Luang. Army troops may be deployed in addition to police, especially at police checkpoints along roads leading to Sanam Luang, to help maintain law and order, Col. Thanathip said.

There have been no reports of people from the provinces being mobilised and transported to the capital to join the anti-junta gatherings so far. Neither had any ex-Thai Rak Thai MPs been found recruiting constituents for the anti-government political rally, the colonel said.

The ISOC meeting participants also discussed the timing of the upcoming general election, which it was felt should be scheduled as soon as possible and held in fair and clean fashion after the rewritten Constitution has passed a public referendum later this year, he said.

--TNA 2007-06-07