A Thai military vehicle secures a road after an attack by suspected separatist militants in the Rueso district in Narathiwat provine last November. (Source: AFP/VNA) Bangkok (VNA) – Thai government will add 4.4 billion THB, or 121.5 million USD, into the 2016 budget for its security forces to stamp out separatist groups in southern Muslim-majority provinces as the conflict enters its 13th years.
The forces will get 30.176 billion baht this year, 4.4 billion THB higher than the previous year, Major General Banpot Pulpian, spokesman of the country’s Internal Security Operation Command (ISOC), said.
The budget would also be used for construction and development of basic infrastructure, job creation and development of education as well as salary raises for the security forces in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat provinces.
The budget increase was announced on the occasion marking 11 years of the raid on an army base that sparked the protracted conflicts. More than 6,200 people have died in violence in the region since then.-VNA
