Thaksin Promises To Stamp Out Southern Insurgency

[george]

Thai leader promises to stamp out southern insurgency

NARATHIWAT: -- Thailand’s Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has vowed to stamp out the militant insurgency that has rocked the country’s southern provinces since early last January.

The PM made his promise during his current visit to the three violence-ridden provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala.

Mr. Thaksin stayed overnight at an army base near Thai-Malaysian border in Sungai-Kolok of Narathiwat province on Sunday to show his support for the local soldiers, according to a TNA correspondent travelling with the premier.

''I had a good sleep last night at the army base because of the nice weather. I was woken up at after 4 am by some roosters,'' he said.

Mr. Thaksin began his visit to Narathiwat in Sungai-Kolok’s fresh market on Monday morning to have breakfast with Gen. Sirichai Thanyasiri, director of the Command Centre to build peace and order in the south, local government officials and soldiers.

Mr. Thaksin promised jobs to two unemployed Muslim women in the market who had just graduated from a university. He told the Sungai-Kolok district chief that every university graduate must be employed.

Mr. Thaksin expressed concern at the plight of the local residents in three southern border provinces as the insurgency has battered their economy and shattered their safety.

However, he promised that the situation would improve very soon because the government knows the militants' network and will stamp them out.

''As long as I am still the prime minister, I would not let them go. I will uproot them,'' Mr. Thaksin said.

''Once the general election is over, I would come back here to command the task in these three provinces,'' he said.

There were still be some key insurgent leaders to deal with, he said. But the PM said he did not think they would be a big problem.

Later, the Thai prime minister flew to Yala province in an army helicopter to inspect a border patrol police unit. There the PM promised to buy new weapons for the unit.

He then visited the Ingkanayuthboriharn Army Camp in Pattani and discussed progress in solving security problems with the region’s security forces and administrative officials.

Mr. Thaksin said progress had been made, and many more arrests would follow soon.

The premier also urged local teachers, who are not satisfied with the security situation, to be patient.

--TNA 2005-01-03

[kurgen]

good old Mr T , another problem solved

I knew we could count on him

shame he can't do anything until after the election though, ce la vie

[sriracha john]

The missing sentence from his speech:

"We will stamp out the insurgency in the South even if it means loading the entire population into the back of military transport trucks."

[stumonster]

Mr. Thaksin promised jobs to two unemployed Muslim women in the market who had just graduated from a university. He told the Sungai-Kolok district chief that every university graduate must be employed.

There the PM promised to buy new weapons for the unit.

and signed paper origami cranes fly.

piss off richard cranium