Farmers in far South granted land title deeds

At the Narathiwat Task Force base in the civil service complex in Muang district, Prayut, Army chief General Theerachai Nakwanich and several ministers reviewed Army operations including weapon seizures, the raid of an insurgent camp, and several arrests of suspected insurgents and sympathisers.
Prayut asked questions about operations and instructed officers to proceed with their work carefully to prevent any loss of life.
The prime minister then visited Princess of Naradhiwas University’s conference hall, where he presided over a ceremony to provide 1,000 land title deeds to 800 residents in the Budo-Sungai Padi mountain range for agricultural use of plots in Rusoh, Rangae, Bacho, Yingor, Sungai Padi and Jor I Rong districts.
The deeds were granted to allay fear that residents might be accused of encroaching on forestland.
Meanwhile, Immigration Police Division 6 commander Pol Maj-General Nitipong Niamnoi said he had coordinated with his Malaysian counterparts to screen people crossing the border following news reports earlier this month that the so-called Islamic State (IS) might seek to establish operations in Thailand’s southern neighbour.
People from countries that are considered “at risk” would face detailed questioning at the border and their movements in the Kingdom would be monitored, Nitipong said. For example, he said, officials would verify their accommodation at hotels if they say they are visiting as tourists.
He urged hotels and other establishments to cooperate with authorities on this.
He said the Thai-Malaysian land border was long, so Immigration Police would monitor checkpoints while coordinating with local police, border patrol police and the Army.
Meanwhile, a village defence volunteer was shot dead and a village headman wounded in an ambush in Ban Kampong Yi Ngo in Yala’s Bannang Sata district yesterday morning. Police suspect the attack was carried out by insurgents as part of the region’s ongoing unrest.
Following the shooting at 10am, police rushed to the scene and the two casualties were sent to hospital.
Defence volunteer Saman Soparp, 45, was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital while village headman Asae Nising, 42, was in a critical condition with a gunshot wound to the torso.
The two men were riding on a motorcycle when an unidentified group of armed men opened fire at them, police said. Spent M16 cartridges were found at the scene.