A security agency in the south has reported more visits to the area by foreign diplomats and non-governmental organisations, since the Move Forward party won most House seats in the general election.
One of the party’s major campaign policies was focused on reducing the violence in the southernmost provinces.
According to Manager online, intelligence officers have been instructed to keep a close watch on such visits and their activities.
What concerns the authorities is that the diplomats and the NGOs wanted to meet and be briefed about the situation in the south by security-related agencies.
They also had meetings with local people, communities and civil society, the Manager online reported. Some of the people they met are allegedly on a Thai authorities’ watch-lists, as they may be involved in the violence in the south.
Security agencies were not informed of the visits, meetings or other activities.
An informed source told ThaiPBS World that the security agency which expressed the concerns is the Fourth Army Region.
On May 28th, France’s Ambassador to Thailand, Thierry Mathou, led a large group of officials to Pattani province and met with representatives of civil society, as well as local communities in Pattani and nearby provinces.
Previously, representatives from the US Embassy in Thailand and the UN visited Pattani, to listen to the problems in the area from local people and NGOs.
The visits and activities did not include Foreign Ministry officials, the manager online reported, so they were able to travel freely and the Thai authorities have no way of knowing what was discussed.
