BANGKOK, Nov 4 — The government committee for southern border province solutions approved in principle to set up a marine paramilitary ranger regiment, recruit 2,000 police and distribute 2,700 weapons to volunteers to tackle the southern insurgency.
Col Banpot Phunpien, spokesman for the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), said after the committee met yesterday that it approved the ISOC proposal to issue 2,700 HK33 rifles to defence volunteers in the southern border provinces.
The Army will distribute them through the Ministry of Interior.
For the recruitment of 2,000 police officers, 1,000 will be recruited in the South and the rest in other regions.
Col Banpot also said that the committee endorsed the Defence Ministry’s proposal to establish a marine paramilitary ranger regiment in two years to support security operations in southern border provinces. Setting it up will cost about Bt1.7 billion.
Lt Gen Prakan Cholayuth, 4th army region commander, said the situation is improving in southern border provinces as many local people are supporting security operations.
