BANGKOK, Feb 8 (TNA) – Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon has ordered security authorities to maximize security measures in southern border provinces to pave the way for the general election.
Lt Gen Kongcheep Tantrawanit, spokesman of the Defence Ministry, said Gen Prawit told the southern branch of the Internal Security Operations Command to maintain existing surveillance cameras and install new ones to support public safety in the region. It had to guarantee safety in all areas in the deep South to support impartiality in the upcoming election so that people and politicians from all parties could exercise their rights and conduct political activities equally in all areas, the spokesman said.
Besides, Gen Prawit ordered security authorities to monitor the movements of influential groups that were behind violent incidents and benefited from illicit businesses including narcotics, arms trade and human trafficking. He stressed that local government officials must not be involved or support the illicit businesses and violent incidents in the region, Lt Gen Kongcheep said.
“Gen Prawit expressed gratitude towards local religious leaders and residents for being aware of narcotic threats and cooperate with narcotic solutions in accordance with government policies. In the past three months, many rackets of large and small-scaled drug dealers in the region were suppressed and more than 12,000 young drug addicts were brought to rehabilitation,” the defence spokesman said. (TNA)
