BANGKOK, Dec 7 – A comprehensive counter-insurgency plan under the government’s Bt13 billion budget to tackle mounting security problems in Thailand’s Muslim-majority far South is set to be initiated early next year, according to a senior official.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is scheduled to visit the trouble-plagued South before the plan is launched, probably by the end of this month.
Paradorn Patanathabutr, secretary general of the National Security Council (NSC), said an integrated plan on security and development of southern region — the key factors in solving chronic crisis in the region — is almost complete and will be submitted to the committee on strategic policy and solutions of southern unrest, chaired by the premier on Wednesday.
The final operation plan will have to be approved by the cabinet, possibly on December 25, before it is implemented in the South between January and September next year, he said.
Lt-Gen Paradorn said seven government agencies will be jointly responsible for exercising the counter-insurgency plan with the Internal Security Operations Command taking the lead.
The plan also includes a Bt9 billion development scheme in which 12 state agencies are instructed to execute under the leadership of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre, he said.
The NSC chief said teachers have lately become another target of attack by insurgents, in addition to military and police.
“In fact our security measures (for teachers) are sufficient but communications between teachers and security officials should be improved, he added
