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Militant violence in Thai south down 70% since 2011
SBPAC official Chanathan Saengphum said the overall situation is better with the number of violent incidents in the region decreasing by 70% since 2011. Citing figures compiled by the Forward Command of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), 140 violent incidents occurred this year, compared with 619 in 2011. These remarks come as the slogan "Patani Merdeka" was found painted on roads in Yala's Than To district yesterday morning. The word 'merdeka' means independence. Mr Chanathan said several factors have contributed to the improvement in the region including greater transparency and wider public engagement in the government's roadmap for restoring peace in the region. Local people see that violence is interfering with development and their livelihoods. Many have taken an active role in security operations to defend their communities from rebel attacks, he said. Despite a decrease in violence, insurgents still recruit youngsters and use other incentives than political ideology to incite violence including business conflicts among interest groups, he said. Posted by: ryuge 2018-10-28 |
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