BRN eyes Sadao because of its economic significance
The inclusion of Songkhla’s Sadao district into the Ramadan ceasefire plan announced in Kuala Lumpur on July 12 by Malaysian facilitator of the peace talks, Mr Ahmad Zamzamin Hasim, has provoked widespread protests, including that of Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha.
General Prayuth told the Thai press on July 15 that Sadao district was not part of the ceasefire plan and the government would notify the BRN about its opposition to the inclusion of Sadao into the plan.
A random opinion survey conducted by the Isra news agency showed that most of the residents in Sadao district strongly disagreed with the ceasefire with the inclusion of Sadao as part of the plan besides Yala, Narathiwat, Pattani and four other districts of Songkhla namely Thepa, Saba Yoi, Na Thawee and Jana.
The most-asked question was "Why Sadao?" which has always been peaceful and booming.
The 5th district of Songkhla to be included in the ceasefire plan was first mentioned by BRN peace negotiator Hassan Taib on June 25 without naming the district’s name. It was named by Mr Hasim on July 12.
It was speculated that Sadao district was included in the ceasefire plan because of economic reason. The value of imported and exported goods which go through two border checkpoints, Sadao and Padang Besar, was estimated at about 500 billion baht which was the second highest after Bangkok.
Sadao has a population of some 120,000 people with 70,000 of them being Buddhists, 35,000 Muslims and the rest adherents of other religious faiths. Most people speak Thai as the common language with Yawi commonly used in Ban Kuan Tani of Tambon Samnak Taeo.
Sadao is also a major gateway to Malaysia and vice versa. About 3.5 people went through the border checkpoints in the district during the period from October 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013.
Security sources said that the economic significance of the district was probably the main reason that the BRN wanted to make the district a part of the Ramadan ceasefire plan.
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Caption : Sadao border checkpoint and custom