Yingluck fine-tunes security strategies for deep South

By The Nation

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra Friday announced a plan to fine-tune strategies to deal with violence in the southern border provinces.

As part of the strategies, the government will focus on maintaining security in the deep South rather than on quelling insurgency.

On Friday, Yingluck set up a committee to be in charge of the strategies to maintain security in the deep South. She assigned Deputy Prime Minister Kowit Wattana to head the committee; the Army commander-in-chief was named deputy chairman.

Yingluck said that despite the existence of both the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center and the Internal Security Operations Command, there was no agency in direct charge of solving the southern violence, hence the setting up of the committee.

The new committee is to head a special centre, which will be set up soon to coordinate with other government agencies in operational matters.

She said the Kowit committee will not focus on suppression but will ensure security and create better understanding among local people based on the rule of law and human rights principles.

She added the government has no plan to turn the deep South into a special administrative zone.

Yingluck will also delegate Kowit to take charge Internal Securities Operation Command, thus allowing the new Kowit committee to take charge of southern operations. The prime minister is the ex officio director of the ISOC but can delegate her deputy to head the ISOC on her behalf.

-- The Nation 2011-09-23

PM Rules Out Autonomy for Far South

The prime minister says agencies in charge of rebuilding southern peace must improve their integration mechanisms.

She asserts that the government has no plans to make the restive region an autonomous area.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said she has no policy to transform the southern border region into a self-governing area.

She said the agencies in charge of rebuilding peace there need a certain body which is tasked to integrate their work and support the Southern Border Peace Administration Center and the Internal Security Operations Command, the two main organizations addressing problems there.

Yingluck stated the entire strategy on resolving southern violence should be drawn up by the army.

She has set up a panel chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Police General Kowit Wattana to oversee related legal matters.

Yingluck also said she named army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha, Defense Minister General Yuthsak Sasiprapha and the commander of the Region 4 Army as Kowit's deputies in the panel.

The premier went on to say the panel will seek suggestions from every agency and adjust the structure of peace administration in the deep South.

She then maintained her government heeds His Majesty the King's advice to understand, access and develop the southern provinces and refrain from using force in quelling the violence.

Yingluck reiterated the resolution on the matter relies on the law and the principle of human rights.

She insisted the situation in the far South has gradually improved while declining to comment on the real cause of the problem.

The premier stated she will ask for cooperation from other countries to help support the integration of the southern peace-building efforts.

Yingluck then said she still has not yet received the annual military reshuffle list.

-- Tan Network 2011-09-23

She could always start folding paper birds.

She added the government has no plan to turn the deep South into a special administrative zone.

Atleast she is upfront about breaking that election promise. As bad as it was.

What;s all this "Land Bridge" business? Is the Kra Isthmus Canal back on the table? That would be a huge payday for Thaksin from the Chinese:

http://www.economist.com/node/18925843

As per instructed from an earlier SKYPE conf-call