Prayut says IS not hiding in the South

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday authorities have found no information suggesting members of the Islamic State (IS) terror group are hiding in the south of Thailand or were involved in recent attacks in the region.

The prime minister was responding to questions from a reporter concerning remarks made by Malaysian authorities about alleged IS activity in the south of Thailand.

The reporter referred to Malaysian authorities who said the southern region of Thailand was being used as a hide-out for IS members and some recent violent attacks in the country were the work of the terror group, which claimed responsibility for a major attack in the UK recently.

Asked if he could confirm whether there was no connection between the terror group and attacks in the region, the premier said he could not categorically confirm such a link.

He said it was more accurate to say authorities had examined reports and found no information indicating IS activity in the southern region.

The reporters were asked to write down their questions which were then gathered by the government spokesman’s team. Gen Prayut also wrote his answers down.

He said he instructed security authorities to closely monitor security in the South to ensure no international extremist organisations were meddling in the situation to exploit it for their own ends.

Gen Prayut also urged the public to step up surveillance and act as the eyes and ears of security authorities, while calling on the media to exercise caution when covering the issue, saying it could affect the country’s national security.

“Don’t invite trouble into our home,” he said.

Asked about the progress of the government’s plan to designate “safety zones” in the restive South, he said discussions on the matter were underway, and both sides needs to work on the details.