All quiet on the southern front?
Betong sees a brighter future after it was delisted from the severe emergency areas
Positioned as a pilot province under the government’s “triangle economy city model” in the far South, Yala’s Betong district has recently been delisted from the region’s severe emergency areas to pave the way for the scheme, which is aimed at bolstering the local economy and enhancing residents’ livelihood.
Strictly regulated under the 2005 Executive Decree for Public Administration in Emergency Situations for over a decade due to the southern insurgency, Betong is the only district in Yala and the deep South as a whole in which the decree has been replaced by the Internal Security Act.
The act came into force on March 20. It was published in the Royal Gazette on March 13.
Fourth Army commander Piyawat Nakvanich said law enforcement in Betong under the act would be in compliance with the state’s strategies in addressing violence in the three southern border provinces.
The district has become the first area which will be developed under the triangle economy city model as no serious cases of violence have been reported for several years.
Lt Gen Piyawat said Betong has seen a tourism boom in recent years with visitors from neighbouring countries including Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia flocking to the district, particularly during festive periods when accommodation is always be fully booked.
For these reasons, the cabinet agreed to lift the emergency decree in the district as proposed by the National Security Council (NSC), he said.
Betong is one of the areas in the three southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat which would be promoted under the triangle economy city model programme.
Under the programme, a 3.4-billion-baht budget will be allocated for 15 development projects which are part of the government’s plan to boost the region and ease the southern insurgency.
The projects, which will focus on transport infrastructure, include two bridges across the
Golok River in Narathiwat’s Sungai Kolok and Tak Bai districts and a new airport in Betong district.
Lt Gen Piyawat said the assessment would be conducted on projects implemented under the programme in Betong district to follow up the progress.
Apart from Betong district, authorities are now inspecting other areas where violence has abated in order to rescind the decree and launch similar economic city models, he said.
Under the emergency decree, which will be extended every three months, police and military officers are fully authorised to exercise their power in violence-plagued areas. They are allowed to detain suspects without an arrest warrant.
Civilians in regulated areas are unable to file a suit against the authorities while gatherings are also prohibited.
Those who fail to comply with the law will face a prison term of up to two years or a fine of up to 40,000 baht, or both.
On the other hand, the Internal Security Act will be exercised by military officers in the event of a threat to national security. The act allows civilians to file a lawsuit against the officers while staging activities or events are practicable as well.
The enforcement period is under the discretion of the cabinet while those who breach the law will face a maximum prison term of one year and a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or both.
Asked about security measures during the upcoming Songkran holiday, Lt Gen Piyawat said he instructed local authorities to intensify efforts to provide security and safety for villagers and travellers at tourist spots and busy areas such as airports across the deep South.
He also said the situation in the southernmost provinces would continue to improve this year. However, he cannot promise that the far South will be free from violence.
In addition, Lt Gen Piyawat also sought cooperation from the public to be vigilant over suspicious persons and incidents as part of measures to handle unrest after some military forces had been withdrawn earlier.
He also instructed local agencies to repair closed-circuit TV cameras in Betong municipality after it was reported that some of them were in poor condition.
In the municipality alone, over 95% of CCTV cameras are functional. The remainder will be restored.
Lt Gen Piyawat also suggested residents help authorities examine the condition of cameras in their neighbourhood.
Remarking on the issue, NSC secretary-general Wallop Raksanoh said a committee on state emergency agreed to extend the enforcement of the decree in Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani, with the exception of Mae Lan district in Pattani, for another three months to provide security for residents.
It was the 51st extension of the decree in the deep South. The latest period started on March 20 and will end on June 19.
As for Betong district, the cabinet has given the green light to replace the decree with the Internal Security Act, Gen Wallop said.
“The Internal Security Operations Command [Isoc] earlier proposed to delist Betong province from severe emergency areas and replace the emergency decree with the act because the Isoc’s assessment indicates violence in the district has decreased.
“Therefore, the replacement was tabled in the cabinet meeting as it will help bolster the local economy as well,” Gen Wallop said.
Kitti Surakhamhaeng, secretary-general of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre, also expressed a positive attitude towards the lifting of the decree in the district, saying Betong has seen sustainable peace recently.
“There has been no violence in Betong district for some time. Therefore, it is a suitable period to revoke the decree. We now assessing other areas to implement a similar measure,” he said.
Boonnil Sangthong, a Betong resident, voiced his support for the revocation of the decree in his hometown, saying it was convenient for locals to travel during nighttime or hold activities without securing permission from the authorities.
Betong villager Waearsae Waeyunu said he was glad the decree has been lifted as locals will be able to live their normal lives without difficulties under regulations stipulated by the decree.