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SAFETY ZONES TO BE ESTABLISHED IN YALA ALONG WITH CHECKPOINTS IN SONGKHLA

Police will set up seven safety zones in Yala province and 46 road checkpoints in Songkhla in the wake of the March 31 car bombings

HONOURING THE DEAD: Yala residents offer alms to monks on Ruam Mit Road in Muang district where two bombs killed 11 people on March 31. The merit-making ceremony was held yesterday to mark one week since the tragedy.

The seven safety zones will cover Buddhist communities that have frequently been targeted by insurgents, national police chief Pol Gen Priewphan Damapong said yesterday.

In the safety zones, security checks will be beefed up, special parking zones will be provided for non-residents, while traffic regulations will be adjusted to facilitate security operations.

Preventing outsiders' vehicles from entering the localities will make it easier for security authorities to prevent future car bomb attacks, he said.

If the measures prove successful, more safety zones will be set up in all three southern border provinces, Pol Gen Priewphan said.

Apart from the safety zones, the police will set up 46 checkpoints on roads in Songkhla province that lead to the three southern border provinces. The checkpoints are aimed at preventing assailants from driving vehicles carrying bombs into the region.

Pol Gen Priewphan said a special security plan had been drawn up to ensure public safety during the Songkran festival and he will travel to the South this week to check on the readiness of local police to prevent further attacks.

Local residents and authorities in Yala yesterday welcomed the planned safety zones.

Yala Governor Detrat Simsiri said those residents who had previously opposed safety zones now support the scheme because of the March 31 attacks.

Authorities declared downtown Yala a safety zone in October following simultaneous bombings in 34 spots in Yala municipality. However, they cancelled it after locals complained about the impact on their businesses and daily life.

"Today, everybody understands that they should give priority to the safety of their lives and assets," the governor said.

One of the seven safety zones will cover Ruam Mit Road, where the car bombs that exploded last Saturday killed 11 people.

Certain roads in the neighbourhood will become one-way roads, while security in the areas will be stepped up. Motorcyclists will be asked to take off their helmets or caps while riding in the zone, Mr Detrat said.

The Yala governor will soon call a meeting of relevant officials and local residents to discuss the safety zones.

Deputy Prime Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa, who oversees national security, yesterday said the undiminished violence in the Muslim-dominated provinces is believed to be carried out by six insurgent groups.

Security officials are trying to find out whether their movements are supported by people in neighbouring countries, he said. He did not reveal the groups' names.

Earlier, he suspected the car bomb attacks last Saturday might have been launched by a hardline faction of a key separatist group, Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) Coordinate.

The bomb blasts in Songkhla's Hat Yat district and Yala on March 31 are the most severe insurgent attacks in recent times as they killed 14 people, including a Malaysian tourist, and wounded hundreds.

All the injured would be given compensation along with free medical treatment by the government, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said during her weekly TV programme yesterday.

She said all victims are entitled to the same rate of compensation as those who suffered from violent attacks in the three southernmost provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala.

Meanwhile, the condition of a two-month baby boy, Kannapat Intarasuwan, who miraculously survived the car bomb attack at Lee Garden Plaza Hotel in Songkhla's Hat Yai district, has improved.

Doctors at Hat Yai Hospital have removed his respirator as the baby can now breathe on his own. He is expected to be discharged from intensive care today.

His father, Mr Paisit, who was also injured in the underground car park of the hotel, is also recovering.

Lee Garden Plaza Hotel's operator has begun renovating the damaged areas, particularly the hotel's retail space.

Hotel executives said they wanted the hotel to resume operations by May 1.