Seven Major Tasks and Thung Yang Daeng Model to Be Emphasized for Handling the Southern Situation (8/11/2014)

All relevant agencies in the deep South have been instructed to work out their action plans to deal with the southern situation in the 2015 fiscal year, with an emphasis on seven major tasks.

The instruction was given by the Commanding General of the Fourth Army Area, Command Lieutenant General Prakarn Cholayut, in a meeting on 5 November 2014 in , .

The meeting came after the Committee on the Mobilization of Southern Border Provinces Policy and Strategies, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister General Prawit Wongsuwon, had approved an action plan to tackle southern problems and develop the southern border provinces in the 2015 fiscal year. The action plan, which involves a budget of 7,786 million baht in the first quarter of the fiscal year, comprises seven major tasks.

These tasks involve 55 agencies and 121 projects. They seek to protect the peoples lives and property; ensure justice and rehabilitate the affected people; create better understanding about the situation both in and abroad; develop local education, religion, and arts and culture; carry out development work in accordance with local potential and peoples quality of life; enhance the efficiency of local government agencies; and find solutions to conflicts through peaceful means.

The Commanding General of the Fourth Army Area also stressed efforts to mobilize forces in the civic sector under the "Thung Yang Daeng Model in order to promote peace-building in the southern border provinces. The model focuses on unified operations between local people, volunteers, and security forces to protect communities and public property from violent acts.

In the initial stage, it will be applied in 37 districts in the three southern border provinces, namely Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat, and four districts of Songkhla. The Fourth Army Area Command has proposed the model after six schools in Pattani were set on fire on 12 October 2014. Out of the six schools, five are in Thung Yang Daeng district and another one in Mayo district.

Touching on the issue of Thung Yang Daeng Model in his televised pubic addressed on 31 October, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said that operations in accordance with the model would be evaluated within three months. If they prove satisfactory, the model will be expanded to other areas for lasting pace in the deep South. He pointed out that the model is a matter of integrated operations, but clear responsibilities must be defined.

The Prime Minister said that the Ministry of Education's Office of the Basic Education Commission had allocated a fund of more than four million baht to construct nine temporary buildings for three schools that were set on fire in Thung Yang Daeng district in Pattani. This will help the affected schools in the initial stage.

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