PM gives up, closes southern schools

Thai News Agency

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanond on Monday ordered the closure of schools in remote and violence-prone areas in the deep South and relocation of students to other schools for safety reason.

His order came on the heels of a bomb blast at a tea shop in Yala municipality, injuring 13 people--four of them in serious condition.

The bomb, activated by a mobile phone, went off at the tea shop opposite a school in Bannang Sata district.

Gen Surayud announced in a press conference that he had ordered closure of schools in troubled areas in the deep South after discussing the issue with the Internal Security Operations Command.

Students from those schools will move to schools where officials can provide maximum security.

“There are more than 700 schools in the three southern provinces. It’s difficult to beef up security at all schools,” the prime minister said.

Reiterating his decision not to specially assign a minister to tackle the southern violence, the premier pointed out that the government was resorting to new tactics to cope with the changing situation.

He said the best way to tackle the southern unrest was to educate young people and change their attitude on discrimination--said to be the excuse of insurgents to create the unrest.

Asked about negotiations with insurgents, the premier said there was no detail for the time being but there should be progress next month.

He attributed the more violent situation in the South to the political situation and the insurgents' attempt to attract the international community.

The Organisation of the Islamic Conferences (OIC) recently issued a statement, saying Thailand has adopted the right measures to solve the southern violence, Gen Surayud said.

What the Thai government did had affected them, he added.

The OIC said it would not interfere with Thailand’s internal affairs but would help improve education and exchange ideas to quell the violence. (TNA)