Security gets boost on Tak Bai strife fear

Security in the deep South has been beefed up ahead of the 13th anniversary of the Tak Bai incident on Oct 25, which falls during the royal cremation ceremonies for the late King.

Amram Baka, deputy chief of Muang Narathiwat district, revealed there might be unrest caused by insurgents during this period.

“Usually, this time of year has been when insurgents have tried to provoke and cause unrest. But this time, the anniversary arises at the same time as the royal cremation,” said Mr Amram, who oversees security in the district.

The Tak Bai incident was a tragic event, and the result of security officials mishandling Muslim protesters on Oct 25, 2004. Some protesters who were arrested were detained in trucks with insufficient ventilation which led to many of them dying of suffocation. Since then, insurgents have continued to mark the anniversary of this event violently.

This year, the province has imposed even tougher security measures than normal. Police checkpoints will be more frequent and officials have been warned to be more vigilant because military forces have been withdrawn from some villages in the region.

In a separate development, Chamnan Muandam, a special representative of the government, yesterday inspected repairs to Sako weir in Sungai Padi district. The maintenance of the weir, sponsored by the Royal Initiative Discovery Foundation, is aimed to help save water for use by locals.