DEEP SOUTH / Army given B8bn to fight insurgency

Written by Writer on Tuesday, November 11th, 2008

DEEP SOUTH / Army given B8bn to fight insurgency

POST REPORTERS

The army has been given a budget of almost eight billion baht to fight the insurgency in the deep South in the 2009 fiscal year, a source said yesterday.

A total of 7.535 billion baht has been set aside for the army’s southern operations and it is in the process of establishing a special force to tackle the unrest.

The army received a budget of 19.515 billion baht for 2005-2011 to fund the setting up of the 15th Infantry Division.

The unit, which has its headquarters in Pattani’s Nong Chik district, is to take charge of security operations in the troubled region.

The army has published an achievement report under the leadership of Gen Anupong Paojinda, who has made the southern unrest the army’s top priority.

The report says Gen Anupong has made some adjustments to policy, with the First Army Region taking charge of Narathiwat, the Second Army Region supervising Pattani and the Third Army Region overseeing Yala.

The three units, however, will hand over their jobs to the 15th Infantry Division as soon as it is up and running.

Violence continued as a paramilitary ranger was killed and five others wounded when a roadside bomb exploded in Narathiwat’s Rueso district yesterday.

The 20kg bomb went off when a pick-up truck carrying the rangers was patrolling Ban Bue Joh in tambon Sawor.

An inspection of the blast scene showed that the bomb had been planted near a traffic sign.

The explosives were detonated by a remote control device, which was discovered near the scene.

In Yala, Justice Minister Somsak Kiatsuranond yesterday granted compensation to 198 victims of the unrest.

The Justice Ministry’s Rights and Liberties Protection Department has so far handed out about 213 million baht to more than 4,400 victims in the region.

Bangkok Post
Tuesday November 11, 2008