Thai PM, Education Minister fly to Pattani to give moral support to teachers

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BANGKOK, Jan 17 -- Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Education Minister Chinnaworn Boonyakiat on Monday flew to the southern border province of Pattani to give moral support to teachers in the violence-torn southern border region and visit Mae Lan district following the revocation of emergency decree and martial law imposed for the past five years in the province.

The Cabinet on Dec 28 last year agreed to revoke the emergency decree and martial law in Mae Lan district of Pattani province in a pilot move to scale down the security in the southernmost provinces which would eventually lead to the lifting of the special law from other areas in the three southern border provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.

The emergency decree will be replaced by the Internal Security Act.

During the visit amid tight security, Mr Abhisit would preside over the ceremony dedicated to teachers killed during the seven-year insurgency in the Muslim-majority region.

He would then visit Mae Lan, which is being seen as a test case for lifting emergency rule in the region. He would also inaugurate government welfare programme and give awards to the winners of the quality of life development programme in the village.

Thailand marked National Teacher's Day on Sunday but on Saturday a 38-year-old teacher was killed in Pattani province on his way home after attending a class.

Mr Abhisit is scheduled to return to Bangkok at 2pm to attend economic ministers meeting at Government House. (MCOT online news)