PM orders armed forces to prepare and Interior Ministry to protect border villagers
PM Anutin orders armed forces to defend the border and Interior Ministry to protect villagers after a landmine blast in Si Sa Ket injured four Thai soldiers.
The landmine blast in Si Sa Ket on Monday prompted Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to order the armed forces to prepare to defend the border, and the Interior Ministry to protect residents from possible clashes, government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat said on Tuesday.
Siripong said Anutin informed the Cabinet during its weekly meeting of the outcomes of the National Security Council session held following the blast at Huai Ta Maria in Si Sa Ket’s Kantharalak district on Monday morning.
During the Cabinet meeting, Anutin expressed his condolences to the Thai troops injured in the explosion. One soldier suffered a severe injury to his right ankle, while three others sustained minor wounds from the blast’s impact.
Siripong quoted Anutin as saying that such incidents and injuries should never have occurred on Thai soil.
Peace accord suspended until hostility ends
Anutin told the Cabinet that he had instructed the Defence and Foreign Ministries to suspend the implementation of the peace accord he and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet signed in Malaysia on October 26. The suspension would remain in place until Cambodia’s hostile actions ceased.
He also directed the Defence Ministry to carry out military operations to the fullest extent necessary to protect Thai territory.
The Prime Minister further ordered the Foreign Ministry to file a formal protest and carry out diplomatic efforts to explain the situation to the ASEAN Interim Observation Team (AOT).
Villagers along border told to prepare
As Interior Minister, Anutin also instructed the Permanent Secretary of the Interior Ministry to ensure that villagers living along the seven Thai-Cambodian border provinces were prepared for potential clashes.
The ministry was told to educate residents on safety measures and evacuation procedures should fighting occur.
The Education Ministry and other relevant agencies were also ordered to conduct regular drills on taking shelter in bunkers and other safe areas, Siripong added.
