All schools to reopen in far south today

Security tightened to protect teachers from insurgent attacks

All schools in southernmost Narathiwat province will fully resume classes today after a week-long closure due to teachers' dissatisfaction over safety measures to prevent attacks by insurgents.

Authorities have also beefed up security at 332 schools in Pattani province to boost teacher and students' confidence and morale, as well as support the schools' educational activities.

Sanguan Intarak, leader of the Federation of Narathiwat Teachers, said yesterday that about 100 schools out of 378 had closed over concerns for safety after insurgents shot dead a 32-year-old female teacher in Joh I Rong district on December 3 and severely injured a 52-year-old male teacher in Sungai Padi in Narathiwat the next day.

A female director in Nong Chik district in Pattani was also shot dead on November 22, while two schools were burned down on November 29 and December 3.

Violence flared in the mainly Muslim region in early 2004 and has now claimed more than 5,000 lives, with the authorities struggling to contain the unrest. Teachers and schools are "soft targets" often attacked by the insurgents.

Sanguan said all schools insisted they would fully reopen today. Agencies that provide security would guard teachers and students in areas around the schools and along routes to them around the clock.

"However, we told every teacher to beware of violence, as teachers are among the targets of the insurgents," Sanguan added.

Pramote Prom-in, spokesman for Internal Security Operations Command Region 4, said all forces responsible for providing security to teachers and students had met with them and adjusted plans according to current situations in the areas. They will provide close security to individual teachers in high-risk areas and combine with defence volunteers to guard schools around the clock.

Pattani Governor Pramuk Lamul said forces had integrated to provide security to teachers in the province continuously after the director had been slain and the two schools set on fire. Such incidents had frightened teachers. Teachers at any school who were worried about safety should tell officials to provide close security, he said.

After a group of insurgents stole assault rifles from a village defence volunteers' outpost in Pattani's Kapho district last week, officials questioned suspicious people, while he visited villagers and asked their leaders for help search for the robbers, the governor said.

In an unrelated event, women in the 14 southern provinces will get a political boost today when Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra presides over the national launch of a Leadership Academy for Muslim Women at Government House, the United Nations said yesterday.

The Academy Programme will train Muslim women in the South through two distinct training programmes. The first programme will equip participants with skills to participate and take leading roles in community development activities. The second will further develop skills for women who want to pursue political ambitions and will focus more intensively on skills for political participation.

The UN Development Programme and the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security will officially launch the innovative new programme at 2pm today, with a joint partnership signing.

Out of roughly 7,000 political positions in villages and towns across Thailand, women account for just 4 per cent. In Parliament, women make up just 16 per cent, while they represent more than half of Thailand's population. There is only one female Muslim MP.

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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2012/12/11/all-schools-to-reopen-in-far-south-today/