Prayuth plans to 'fence off' border

Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha yesterday floated the idea of putting up walls along the entire Thai-Malaysia border to block the smuggling of bombs and similar devices for use in attacks by insurgents. This proposal will be included in a meeting with Malaysian authorities next month. 

According to the commander-in-chief, these walls would help prevent the delivery of explosives to insurgents in the deep South, while security officials can focus on breaking down networks of bomb-makers and bomb-assembly outfits. 

“Many bomb-makers have become available after being released on bail as their cases have gone through the normal justice procedure,” Prayuth said. 

The Army chief did not provide details on the type of walls, the materials they would be built with or their height. He only used the Thai word for “fence” that will supposedly block smugglers from carrying contraband items across the border.

The general said Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Defence Minister Sukampol Suwannathat and Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung had been told of this idea, and that Yingluck agreed with it in principle. Explaining the potential need for the walls, Prayuth said that though the 600-kilometre border is constantly patrolled, a personnel shortage had hampered continuous checks. 

He said these walls could be constructed right away because there is no problem concerning the demarcation of the Thai-Malaysia border. He added that the issue would be raised in a meeting with Malaysian authorities on June 13, when Thai negotiators meet with insurgents’ representatives and Malaysian authorities, as the facilitator in a peace dialogue.

“Though Malaysia has cooperated in checking border areas on its side, the long distance makes inspection difficult for both Thai and Malaysian officials,” he added. 

Devices used in making bombs have mostly been smuggled from other countries, with the exception of weapons-grade explosives, he said. 

Civilian authorities at the village level up to the district level have been helping military and police officers in conducting patrols and monitoring the situation, especially along the shared Kolok River.

Meanwhile, a bomb attack in Pattani killed an Army paramilitary ranger and seriously wounded two others as the six-strong squad was resting at a school. 

A home-made bomb was later found to have been planted behind a wall near the area that the squad usually stopped at after completing its morning patrol and escorting schoolteachers. 

Separately, Yala police have obtained images of two suspects who allegedly brought down seven electricity poles with a bomb on Saturday. The officers said the two men were being closely monitored, but refused to name them. The authorities believe that insurgent leader Ahmad Tue-nga might have been behind the attack.