BANGKOK, Aug 5- Thai Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Sunday that Their Majesties the King and Queen are deeply concerned about unrest in the southernmost provinces.
Their Majesties the King and Queen have always been worried about people in far South and have supported them continuously since they began visiting the southern border region three decades ago, Gen Prayuth revealed.
The army chief added that Her Majesty the Queen has continued granting money to development projects and helping families in the Deep South earn more income from producing handicrafts under the royal initiative campaigns.
Gen Prayuth’s remarks came after Gen Naphon Buntap, deputy chief aide-de-camp general, addressed to an audience in a special lecture on the southern violence held by the Internal Security Operations Command on Saturday.
Gen Naphon, who serves on the Queen‘s personal staff, said that the Office of Her Majesty the Queen´s Private Secretary had received petitions and the Queen ordered him to visit the areas and report to her in order to find measures to help local residents.
He said since the insurgency escalated in 2004, only a few Buddhist monks have stayed in each of all 266 temples in the region.
In some areas where frequent attacks occur, local residents have difficulties earning a living in growing crop in plantation or selling goods. In Tanyongmas, located in Narathiwat’s Rangae district, 80 percent of shops have closed, he said.
In a related development, the army chief said that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on August 8 was set to call a meeting with security and development agencies, particularly the Internal Security Operations Command and the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre (SBPAC), in order to discuss tackling the escalating regional unrest.
As the Internal Security Operations Command and the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre (SBPAC) were the main organisations responsible for resolving the problems, Gen Prayuth explained that both organisations needed to adjust and improve in order to work harmoniously and effectively and to respond to the need of local people.
