BANGKOK, Aug 24 – Thai Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha on Wednesday conceded that the security and protection measures for local residents in the three insurgency-plagued southern border provinces are still not fully effective but pledged that the army has addressed the violence by strictly adhering to the rule of law.

The army chief said regarding the unrest in the three southern border provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani that violence continues for several reasons including vested interests, violations of the law, local politics and actions by separatist groups.

More than 4,300 people have been killed since violence erupted in the Thai-Malaysian border provinces in 2004.

MCOT