NSC Chief Condemns Child Attacks, Vows to Contain Southern Unrest
NSC Secretary-General Gen. Chaipraket Duangprapa said the Prime Minister has ordered that southern insurgent violence must not spread beyond current areas. He urged public cooperation and condemnation after an attack on schoolchildren in Satun province, emphasizing that security agencies have enhanced measures and plans to protect informants.
At 10:00 a.m. on November 13 at Government House, NSC Secretary-General Gen. Chaipraket Duangprapa spoke to reporters after discussing the southern border situation with the Prime Minister. The Premier explicitly ordered that insurgent operations must not expand to other areas. Gen. Chaipraket said he had received a military report that security measures have been significantly increased. Regarding the incident that spread to Satun province, the attack occurred on a route between Songkhla and Satun, just before a security checkpoint, a weak point exploited by the insurgents. The military and relevant agencies will review and rectify this.
Asked whether the expansion to Satun could recur, Gen. Chaipraket said such incidents cannot happen if the public cooperates. He believes that if uninvolved residents of Satun and Songkhla come forward with information and refuse to cooperate with the other side, security agencies can definitely manage the situation. He affirmed that security agencies have contingency plans to protect informants.
On the insurgents' motive for shifting their operational area, Gen. Chaipraket said intelligence assessments indicate they want to demonstrate their capability to operate outside their usual zone. However, choosing soft targets like schoolchildren is an action that causes them to lose support. "We see it clearly; we should all condemn this. Right now children are still hospitalized, some undergoing cheek surgery, others with leg injuries. Several kids were hurt. That is the insurgents' method, the method of those making demands. We must help condemn what happened," he said.
