South-East Asia (Page 981)

YALA: An unidentified gang fired two M79 grenades at a security checkpoint in this southern border province city late on Sunday night.

The case was reported to Pol Capt Narin Saengdet, a commissioned duty officer at Muang Yala Police Station, at 12.20am yesterday.

According to police, the suspects fired the M79s at the Saphan Dum checkpoint in Yala City Municipality, which was manned by both soldiers and volunteer defence corps (VDCs) personnel.

Moo-Aek Phongsak, one of the Muang Yala VDCs at the checkpoint, said the second M79 grenade followed the first one after a minute.

The checkpoint personnel fired their weapons at the gang, who fled the scene, he said.

A 79-year-old woman said she heard the fighting and closed her curtains, turned off her lights, and hid inside her house.

Officers from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) department and the Provincial Forensic Science Office 10 were sent to where the explosions occurred.

The grenades were found to have damaged several houses and buildings near the checkpoint. All residents were reported unharmed.

Security measures in the area will be subsequently intensified, especially with the ongoing Chak Phra annual Buddhist festival, which ends on Friday.

Justice Minister Pol Col Tawee Sodsong was in Songkhla yesterday to discuss broad measures to address a range of issues in the deep South, including sustainable peace management and area development.

YALA: An unidentified gang fired two M79 grenades at a security checkpoint in this southern border province city late on Sunday night.

The case was reported to Pol Capt Narin Saengdet, a commissioned duty officer at Muang Yala Police Station, at 12.20am on Monday.

According to police, the suspects fired the M79s at the Saphan Dum checkpoint in Yala City Municipality, which was manned by both soldiers and volunteer defence corps (VDCs) personnel.

Moo-Aek Phongsak, one of the Muang Yala VDCs at the checkpoint, said the second M79 grenade followed the first one after a minute.

The checkpoint personnel fired their weapons at the gang, who fled the scene, he said.

A 79-year-old woman said she heard the fighting and closed her curtains, turned off her lights, and hid inside her house.

Officers from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) department and the Provincial Forensic Science Office 10 were sent to where the explosions occurred.

The grenades were found to have damaged several houses and buildings near the checkpoint. All residents were reported unharmed.

Security measures in the area will be subsequently intensified, especially with the ongoing Chak Phra annual Buddhist festival, which ends on Friday.

Justice Minister Pol Col Tawee Sodsong was in Songkhla yesterday to discuss broad measures to address a range of issues in the deep South, including sustainable peace management and area development.

The government’s plan to procure alternative armaments instead of a submarine is reasonable as long as it keeps within budget, according to the House committee on national security.

The remark was made by the committee chair, Move Forward Party (MFP) MP Rangsiman Rome, after the panel’s visit to the defence permanent secretary’s office, where he met Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang and armed forces leaders yesterday.

Mr Rangsiman made an appointment to see the minister last week. The committee put several queries to Mr Sutin, including the plan by the navy to swap its planned procurement of a Chinese submarine for a frigate.

The switch was prompted by China’s inability to acquire a German engine for the submarine the navy had ordered. Berlin cited regulatory restrictions preventing engines it produces from being used in Chinese military hardware.

Mr Sutin said the government has settled on procuring a frigate instead of a submarine, although the new deal is estimated to cost a billion baht more.

Yesterday, Mr Rangsiman said the public would understand the merit of the switch if the navy was able to justify it. People would not object as long as a deal swap does not exceed the budget earmarked for the 16-billion-baht submarine.

The House committee appeared to soften its tone after the meeting with Mr Sutin. The MFP has been openly critical of what it calls a splurge on weapon procurements by the military and vowed to rein in such spending.

Mr Rangsiman added that he believed the Defence Ministry was perceptive to public concerns about the submarine purchase deal.

The House committee was open to an exchange of information about buying a submarine if the ministry insisted on owning one in the future. The panel will gain more understanding through talks and consultations, he said.

The panel acknowledged the sensitivity surrounding the deal switch, which has a bearing on bilateral relations with China. Mr Rangsiman said Mr Sutin assured him the government would handle the matter in a way that would minimise impacts on ties. Mr Rangsiman said the committee also raised the emergency decree imposed in the far South in discussions with Mr Sutin.

He said the military argued in favour of maintaining the decree currently in effect across most parts of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat and parts of Songkhla.

The Foreign Ministry has confirmed three more Thai workers were taken hostage during the Hamas attack on Israel, revising up the total number of Thai hostages to 22, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said yesterday.

He was answering reporters’ questions at the Wing 23 air terminal at Udon Thani airport before his official trip to Laos.

The records also show that the number of those killed and injured in the attack remained at 32 and 19, respectively, as of Sunday.

The situation in Israel has now deteriorated as Israel’s retaliatory ground offensive has begun, leading to travel difficulties within the area, according to the premier.

As of yesterday, 7,415 Thai workers had returned home; 630 of those arrived just yesterday, divided into three flights.

However, as some still live in Israel, Mr Srettha suggested those Thai workers should quickly contact Thai authorities and register for evacuation from the country before the situation becomes even worse.

“Today, I will talk to the Foreign Affairs Minister [Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara] for situation updates. More people may have to leave for negotiations,” he added.

Thai officials were engaged in talks for the release of the Thai hostages. The armed forces supreme commander had been in Malaysia as part of this process, Mr Srettha said.

Asked whether Hamas had targeted Thai workers, Mr Srettha said he did not think so because Thailand was not involved in the Israel-Hamas conflict in the first place.

“We, in fact, are more likely victims of the war because there are more workers from Thailand in Israel than from other countries,” Mr Srettha said.

Asked about Thais who may have been stranded near the Gaza Strip, Mr Srettha admitted some were still listed as missing.

“We are still assessing the situation. But, with the ground offensive, communications are shut down, making it more difficult [to assess the situation],” he said.

Senators also asked to give their input

A sub-committee tasked with gathering public opinion on a charter rewrite referendum has kicked off its work with a plan to wrap up its assignment by the third week of December.

The panel, chaired by Nikorn Chamnong, is one of two sub-committees under the government committee to study the design of the charter amendment referendum headed by Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai.

The other is tasked with drawing up guidelines for a referendum.

Speaking after the meeting with the Senate committee on political development and public participation, Mr Nikorn said the Senate’s opinions are being sought because their votes can determine the outcome of the charter rewrite proposal.

He said the senators are also being urged to deliberate the questions proposed for the referendum and make suggestions for discussion when parliament reconvenes.

According to Mr Nikorn, his panel will later this week meet Move Forward Party (MFP) MP Parit Wacharasindhu in his capacity as the chairman of the House committee on political development to discuss the matter.

Gathering opinions from MPs and senators is crucial to the work although their opinions may carry different weight, he said, adding the panel will also hold talks with the main opposition MFP to find a solution as the party disagrees with this approach.

After collecting input from student and youth groups next week at Government House, the panel will hold a public hearing tour across the country with the final forum scheduled for Dec 7 in the deep South.

The findings should be ready for submission to the Phumtham committee by the third week of December and the summary will be forwarded to the government early next year, he said.

Mr Nikorn said the government has decided to have a new charter written, without making changes to chapters 1 and 2, because the rewrite process allows people to take part and ensures the new charter reflects their will.

Meanwhile, senator Jadet Insawang, vice chairman of the Senate committee on public participation, on Monday doubted that the charter amendment would benefit the general public.

He said the charter amendment should not be hurried and the matter is likely to create an extensive debate that might potentially lead to a new round of political division.

The senator said he disagrees with the idea of completely rewriting the charter but is willing to review the proposed changes point by point.

The digital wallet scheme, the government’s flagship policy, will face a seven-month delay and is expected to be launched around September next year, according to a prime minister’s adviser.

Speaking at a forum organised by the Senate to discuss the handout scheme, Pichai Chunhavajira insisted the policy was necessary to stimulate the economy but was unlikely to be implemented in February as planned.

The scheme, which is expected to be funded by the annual budget, will face a seven-month delay and is slated for September, he said.

Mr Pichai said the policy will be adjusted to reduce its scope following concerns from many quarters, and so the number of eligible people is estimated to be around 40 million.

The 4km radius restriction in which the digital money can be spent is likely to be revised to cover an entire district to ensure the money is spread evenly, he said, adding the Pao Tang application may be used for the scheme because developing a new one is time-consuming.

Former deputy finance minister Pisit Lee-atham said the handout scheme is not sustainable and the money should be spent on development projects that will increase people’s productivity.

The government should try to reduce costs and spur people’s capacity to produce rather than giving them money and hoping that it will bring about sustainable growth, he told the forum.

Mr Pisit also suggested that the government listen to the Budget Bureau. Otherwise, the project’s implementation will risk violating fiscal discipline.

Meanwhile, Ongart Khlampaiboon, acting deputy leader of the Democrat Party, said on Facebook that the government’s inability to find the money to finance the scheme showed that the ruling Pheu Thai Party did not think the policy through.

He said narrowing down the programme possibly shows the government was struggling to find the funding for the scheme.

He called on the prime minister to specify where the money would come from.

Last week, a sub-committee overseeing the project implementation recommended limiting the handout using income or savings as the criteria.