Security personnel face cut

Military officers were on duty to inspect a scene in Narathiwat's

Reuso district after a bomb threat on Monday.

 (Photo by Waedao Harai)

Security manpower in the deep South will be cut by almost

 1,500 personnel next year, the Internal Security Operations

 Command (Isoc) says.

The scale-back, approved yesterday by the Isoc committee

chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon,

will apply to key units of the Isoc Region 4 Forward Command.

The number of soldiers, police and defence volunteers will

decrease by 1,443 to 69,295, Isoc spokesman Maj Gen Banpot

Poonpian said after the committee meeting.

He indicated the personnel reduction will not affect the authorities'

 ability to suppress security threats and protect local residents against

acts of violence in the southernmost provinces.

 After the reduction, there will be 31,000 soldiers, 18,000 police

 officers and 9,600 defence volunteers left, he said, adding

the personnel reduction plan for next year will be forwarded

 to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha for approval.

 

A security source said defence volunteers will fill the gap

where security authorities are withdrawn.

The soldiers, police and security volunteers have played

a key role in tackling unrest since the violence flared up in 2004.

 A security presence has been maintained in Pattani, Yala and

 Narathiwat as well as four Songkhla districts of Thepha,

Na Thawi, Chana and Saba Yoi.

The status of the four districts as well as Pattani's Mae Laen

district as security protection areas will be maintained until

 Nov 30 next year, according to Maj Gen Banpot.

Meanwhile, in Narathiwat, three trains were delayed for

two hours after a hand grenade was thrown at a traffic police

 booth at Rueso railway station yesterday morning but failed

to explode, police said.

 

Rueso stationmaster Mongkol Klanarong told police a passing

 motorcyclist hurled the grenade at the booth.

 

News,Security,Bangkok Post, 22 December 2015.

 

In fact it is not about the quatity,it about the quality,moral

and how brave the authorities devote for their duty to make

peace happen in the area.

 

Sincerely Yours.