BANGKOK, 25 February 2014 Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha has ordered officials to beef up security at important locations while indicating that certain groups are intent on provoking divisiveness in the country.
With the tendency for the Thai political situation to grow more violent, Gen Prayuth, in his capacity as Deputy Director of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), encouraged all provincial governors to keep their eyes out for ill-intentioned groups which were looking to incite hatred and social discord and might even slander the monarchy in a bid to add to the existing political problems.
The Army Chief called on the governors to create an understanding with people in their areas about the rule of law and restore their confidence in the judicial system. Coordination is to be established with local security units so as to clamp down on those malicious groups and stop their activities.
Meanwhile, Army Spokesman Col Winthai Suvaree disclosed that efforts were being made to enhance the efficiency of security measures in accordance with the changing situation. He said more security checkpoints had been set up in the perimeter of protest sites as well as offices of independent organizations and judicial agencies. Areas and frequency of patrols have also been adjusted for higher safety.
