Thai Government Able to Cope with Violence in South: PMThai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra Tuesday called on people in the South not to panic over a spate of recent violence, saying the government could absolutely cope with problems in the region.His call came after there was reportedly a release of the secret code of 7-17-27 which signaled that terrorists were planning to ignite violence in the southernmost part of the country. The premier was quoted by the Thai News Agency as saying that his government was aware of problems in the region and had ordered officials concerned to cope with them both confidentially and openly. The Coordination Center for Five Southernmost Provinces is also fully cooperating with the move. Commenting on the secret code, Interior Minister Purachai Pieumsomboon said he would not take any additional measure because he believed local officials could keep peace and order in the region. The public should not panic over the release of the code. Fact- findings must be sought before any preventive action could be taken. In his view, violence often occurs when the situation is in normal. No warning is usually given before it breaks out, he said. Purachai said police was looking into bombings at the railway station in the southern Thailand's largest town Hat Yai and Betong Town of Yala Province early this month. The explosion in Hat Yai killed a child and seriously injured three with 37 slightly wounded. The bombing in Betong, happened in front of a hotel, injured seven people. The two bomb attacks were believed to be the work of Muslim separatists. |
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