Mr. Abdul
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The new government led by the Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha has given priority to solve the problems in the southern border provinces as a concrete and focus on the relevant authorities to respond the policy in the same framework and direction lead to the end-state of a lasting success. Avoid duplication in practice. The operation is fast by reducing the procedure and manner of obstacles. The solution is solved to respond the needs of local people emphasize on the participation of all sectors especially the public sector in the 3 southern border provinces.
The government have formed a committee to mobilize efforts to solve problems in the southern border provinces by integrating work plans, projects of departments, bureaus and relevant agencies into the area. The administration in district level, Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 Forward Command has established 37 District Operations Centers to cover the area of 3 southern border provinces and 4 districts of Songkhla province.
The participation of civil society and reorganized the establishment of voluntary development and self-defense villages and established people's forces. Provide training to strengthen the effectiveness of sub-district defence volunteers. The total number of civil defence volunteers will be 2,700 people and cover all areas by this year.
The policy of Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 Forward Commands focus on strengthening local forces to replace military forces in the area. Currently, Southern Border Province Police Bureau (SPB) will increase a number of police personnel in police station which lack of adequate manpower . Having established more sub-district police stations to provide life and property security to the people by cooperating with people forces in the area which National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has agreed on July 2, 2013 and approved to increase police personnel up to 5,000. Initially, Southern Border Province Police Bureau will get 1,000 police personnel by focusing on lineage of people in the southern border provinces. This policy will be included in local forces strengthen plan from now on up to the next 3 years.
The objective of strengthening local forces is to assist local people to get jobs as state officials and in the future they will be the main forces responsible for providing life and property security to the people. They are the descendants of local people. Who have more understanding the customs, culture, local traditions and the root of the village problems of their own community than the others outside the area.
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As the policy of Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 Forward Command to strengthen local forces . It is expected that, with the thousands of police personnel when combined with another 2,700 people of sub-district defence volunteers assigned to work as planned, Those will cover all areas and then the armed forces from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd army area can be withdrew to their home stationed.
As mentioned, just a brief policy which is enough to see the image in strengthening the capacity of local forces of Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 Forward Command which has been planned and some parts has been done already. However, the groups with the different ideas of state try to excite Pattani people by hanging banners, accused the government in handing out weapons to Malay-brothers to kill each other. In fact, the essence of the policy is to strengthen local capacity.
The doubts about firearms which were distributed to sub-district defence volunteers. Department of Provincial Administration has borrowed firearms from the army and distributed to them for self-defence and protect people in villages, communities including education personnel, teachers as well as the general public which military personnel will be the adviser. However, some groups have accused the state in case of distribution firearms to the sub-district defence volunteers and point it out that the weapons will be used to create black power and kill each other until the situation cannot be controlled. May those groups and general public know that all distribution firearms have been test fired and collected evidence already. This is a control measure to protect them to be used illegally and it can be proved to the possessor. At present the advances of forensic science has been used effectively in many cases and it was used as a major role in revealing the important cases in the southern border provinces and lead to arrest the criminals to prosecute with no exception even they were state officials.
The government led by General Prayuth Chan-ocha the Prime Minister has a peaceful means policy and strong intention to continue peace talking which has been driven at the policy implementation level, operation level and local level. On December 1st, 2013, the Prime Minister officially visited to Malaysia to set up a guidelines for talking with all groups who have different ideas from the state to speed up a peace-building in the area soon.
The government give precedence to develop infrastructure in the southern border provinces by providing social welfare, improving and constructing roads to facilitate transport and travel of local people and developing water resources. The army has assigned
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the tasks to the engineer units from the 1st to the 4th army area and Royal Thai Army engineer department to bring 750 personnel into the area to improve and construct 37roads (37 districts), the total distances about 165 kilometers in the 3 southern border provinces and 4 districts of Songkhla. In term of development of water resources the Royal Irrigation Department has managed the problem of water consumption in Tanyong Pao village, Tha Kamcham sub-district, Pattani Province to relieve distress to the people in 6 villages.
In economic dimension, Thailand will participate in ASEAN economic community this year. The government has developed modern businessman in southern border provinces. It is also includes the development of the network and business to steady growth with the knowledge and ability to expand trade and investment to correspond with the change of present situation rapidly. Cooperation in driving the economy of Southern Border provinces and participation in creating society more livable in order to support the growth of the local economy at provincial and regional level together with stimulant policy to boost the confidence of investors in the southern border provinces to support the AEC in developing the Halal Food Industrial Estate in Pattani which is the cooperation between Industrial Estates Authority of Thailand (IEAT) and Fatoni Industry Company located in Nam Bo sub-district , Panare district , Patani province on the area of 173 rai. and draw medium and large enterprise to invest in such a settlement. Moreover, the establishment of special economic development zone in Narathiwat province to develop and strengthen the stabilities to vicinity areas. The employment of local people are expected. The economy, trade and investment, border tourism are stimulated to develop interconnection Thai-Malaysia Border to improve the livelihood of local people.
In conclusion, it can be seen a unity of this government, just only short period of time of country administration. The problems in the southern border provinces can be driven as a concrete as mentioned including encourage local people (local forces) to provide security to their homeland. When violent situation has calm down the development of public assistance and infrastructure to improve the quality of life of the people will come after. People incomes will be increased from economy and investment system accordance with the development to AEC in the year 2015 and then the situation in the southern border provinces will turn to normal again. This may be the reason of the opponents who do not agree. They attempted to propaganda that the government distributed firearms, reinforces combat forces to make Malay-brothers kill each other because they do not want peace to be in this area again.
