Five districts chosen for the trial of southern ISOC’s pacification programme
The forward directorate of the Region 4’s Internal Security Operations Command has launched a pacification programme on December 1 aiming to restore peace in five districts with the cooperation of the government’s sector, the people’s sector and the anti-government’s sector.
Chosen for the launch of the programme are Bacho and Cho Airong districts of Narathiwat, Nong Chik of Pattani, Yala’s Yaha district and Na Thawee district of Songkhla out of a total of 37 districts in the four southernmost provinces.
The government’s sector is made up of the military, the police and local administration officials. The people’s sector comprises community leaders and religious leaders whereas the anti-government sector comprises mainly those who share different opinions with the government.
The three parties will take part in formulating ideas, planning and implementing the ideas and making the assessments. District offices have been designated as the operations centres.
The main objective of the three parties is to restore peace in a sustainable fashion with emphasis on strengthening villages and making them free from violence and narcotic drugs. Every step of implementation of the programme must be transparent and accountable.
Three tasks are to be implemented simultaneously. These include the creation of safety zones with emphasis on communities and villages through peaceful enforcement of the laws, public participation in every step of implementation and the use of people’s forces such as defence volunteers in ensuring security, prevention and suppression of illicit drugs and destruction of natural resources.
Restoration of reconciliation is another major task. Cooperation must be sought with religious leaders, community leaders, civic leaders and non-governmental organizations.
Development work is the third task to assure people in the Deep South that the government does not abandon them and is determined to improve their livelihood, to tend to their demands and hardships through development projects such as improvements of infrastructure projects, development of tourism spots and setting up of rubber processing factories among others.
Lt-Gen Nakrob Boonbuathong, a member of the panel tasked with holding talks with separatists, has insisted that the pacification programme to restore peace in the five districts is not connected to the “safety zones” or “ceasefire zones” being discussed between the negotiating panel and Mara Patani.
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Caption : The activities of pacification programme in Na Thawee district of Songkhla