Slim chance of success for Pattani Maha Nakhon
The recent brouhaha about a special administrative zone for Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and four districts of Songkhla, to be called Pattani Maha Nakhon, as proposed by Pheu Thai MPs may be just a flash in the frying pan which will not be realized in the near future due to strong opposition from the military.
Army Commander-in-Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha, for instance, is strongly opposed to the idea of the far South to be made a special administrative zone. His position on this matter was clearly reflected in his statements made on March 7.
The army chief said that the far South was already a special administrative zone, citing the existence of the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre (SBPAC) and the forward command of the Internal Security Operations Command.
Like the rest of the country, he said that the southernmost region already had local governments with representatives elected by the local people such as the provincial administration organisations, tambon administration organisations and municipalities.
That the National Security Council was assigned to study the Pattani Maha Nakhon special administration as proposed by some Pheu Thai MPs, General Prayuth explained that the study didn’t mean that the military was in supportive of the proposal.
More importantly, the general claimed that the majority of the people in the far South didn’t want a special administrative zone "unless they were forced to say otherwise".
"As for me, I would say that I do not agree with it (Pattani Maha Nakhon special administrative zone). Thailand is one indivisible country. This is a sensitive issue and this is not the right time to talk about it," he said.
General Prayuth said he foresaw problems, at the very least from the perspective that three provinces plus four districts of another province to be merged into a single administrative zone.
Those who have been calling for a special administrative zone represent just a minority group who may harbour bad intention towards the country, said the army chief, adding that he had earlier warned the government to be extremely cautious about such a move.
In a seminar held on March 11 in Narathiwat, Dr Chaiwat Satha-anan of Thammasat University and a former member of the now defunct National Reconciliation Committee, said he saw a slim chance that a special administrative zone for the far South would become a reality unless the government is stronger than it is now and also the government must be more serious about the problems in the region.
The Thammasat political science professor said that the local people should be given a say about how they thought about the special administrative zone.
He admitted he wasn’t sure about the opinion polls undertaken in the region that the opinions voiced actually reflected the views of the majority of the people down there.
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Caption : (left) Dr Chaiwat Satha-anan (right) General Prayuth Chan-ocha