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Thai army chief calls for help as violence continues in the south
 Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha is calling on government agencies to help security forces win support from the people in the far South. Gen Prayuth's plea followed the latest spate of violence in the far South over the weekend resulting in the deaths of at least two soldiers and injuries to more than 10 people, including a nine-year-old girl.Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday expressed concern over the latest wave of southern violence and ordered all agencies involved to monitor the situation closely. National police chief Adul Saengsingkaew yesterday arrived at the southern border police operations center to follow up on the attacks in Narathiwat province over the weekend. Pol Gen Adul said he ordered police officers to step up efforts to investigate and track down the attackers and bring them to justice. Navy chief Adm Surasak Rounroengrom said yesterday the navy promoted the two officers attached to the navy's marine corps, who were killed in a bomb blast in Bacho district Saturday. Petty Officer 1st Class Nadi Champawan was promoted to a commander and his family will receive more than 2.4 million baht in compensation while Petty Officer 1st Class Issarawut Polsak was promoted to a lieutenant commander and his family will receive about 2.1 million baht in compensation. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said during his visit to Egypt yesterday that Egypt's top Muslim cleric Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb had condemned the violence in the southern provinces. The violence continued yesterday in Pattani and Narathiwat provinces. In Pattani's Muang district, Somchai Homklinchan, a gardener at a local hospital, was riding a motorcycle to work. He was followed by two assailants on another motorcycle until a pillion-riding gunman shot him. The man was taken to a nearby hospital where he died. In Narathiwat's Si Sakhon district, Sukanya Permsap, the owner of a grocery, was gunned down in his shop. Soldiers and police were at the scene when Security officers found Sukanya's body in the shop after the blast. She had been shot in the head. A bomb crater marred the shop. Debris was strewn about the shop including remnants from the homemade bomb. A pistol and a spent bullet case were also found. Posted by: ryuge 2012-10-23 |
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