Defence takes on drug fight

PATTANI: The newly-appointed 4th Army Region commander has declared drug suppression and prevention in the deep South as a priority issue.

Lt Gen Pornsak Poonsawat, who assumed the post early this month, said preparations are being made to curb illicit drugs in the region and rehabilitate drug abusers.

The Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) is being roped in to strengthen security officers’ handling of narcotics-related activities, according to the commander. Drug trafficking is also known to have hindered the government’s efforts in tackling unrest in the deep South, he said, adding drug problems are local people’s top concerns during his visits to various communities.

“It’s an urgent matter and they seem to agree we’ll have to deal with it in a drastic manner. It’ll be the top priority in the first three months,” he said. However, he assured the anti-drug drive will not come at the expenses pf security operations, saying it will be implemented as security authorities ramp up their efforts to provide safety to people in the region.

As part of security management, operation centres will be set up in 37 districts of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, he said. District chiefs, police station heads and community leaders will be brought in to address southern unrest.

He was speaking after meeting senior officers at Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) Region 4’s Forward Command in Pattani’s Yarang district. He said Isoc will operate under the framework of the government’s 20-year strategy and economic development plan and do its best to engage the public. “We’ll mobilise every sector in this. State officials must not create any conditions [that will lead to conflicts],” he said.