A Thai bomb squad inspects the site of a roadside bomb attack by suspected separatist militants in Thailand's restive southern province of Narathiwat on March 9, 2016 (Source: AFP) Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-Cha on March 14 ordered an increase in security in southern provinces where Muslim people account for a majority of the population, due to increasingly volatile conditions in the area recently.
Government spokesman Major General Sansern Kaewkumnerd said the Government will not tolerate any unlawful actions, and warned that the PM has ordered stiffer security in areas prone to attacks.
The order came after separatist gunmen in the southern region of the country carried out a series of attacks on March 13 against local security authorities; the act aimed at marking the 56th anniversary of the insurgent movement known locally as Barisan Revolusi National (BRN). Seven policemen and security patrol officials were injured in the attacks.
On March 9, two officials were killed when their security car was bombed, later police found a Muslim man who was shot to death in a car in Sri Sakhon district. Similar incidents happened within 24 hours, killing four people.
Regular unrest in the south has increased as some separatist groups are trying to form a Muslim state. They have carried out several activities against the Government’s army over the past decade, particularly in Yaly, Pattanni, Naratkhivat and Songkhla, killing 6,300 people.
Since late 2014, the Government has pledged to bolster the peace talks process with separatist groups in the south via the intermediary of Malaysia, a neighboring country, but no progress has been seen so far.-VNA
