The 13-member team will facilitate coordination of agencies to address problems in the deep South and ensure a smooth flow of work, Udomdej said.

With direct connection to Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy PM and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, the team will receive a budget from the PM’s Office.

Udomdej, the team’s chairman, said they would not duplicate the works of the forward minister  of the Internal Security Operations Command and the Southern Border Province Administration Centre (SBPAC).

First meeting

He said the team would gather information weekly and monthly to assess work achievements.

Members present at the team’s first meeting at the Defence Ministry in Bangkok were: Deputy Education Minister (team vice chairman) General Surachet Chaiwong; General Aksara Kerdphol, former army chief of staff and the peace dialogue’s Thai negotiating team leader; and former SBPAC secretary-general Panu Uthairat (team secretary).

Other members, four former commanders of the Fourth Army Region (General Udomchai Thammasarorat, General Sakol Chuentrakul, General Prakarn Cholayuth, Lieutenant General Wiwat Pathompak) and two former deputy commanders (General Chamlong Khunsong, and General Manee Chanthip), were also present.

Former commander of the southern border police Pol Lt-General Paithoon Chuchaiya, former SBPAC deputy secretary-general Chamnun Kuendum, and former deputy National Security Council secretary-general Pornchart Bunnag also attended.

Besides discussing topics to ensure all were on the same page, Udomdej said the team would divide seven working plans among themselves, set by the Committee to Mobilise Policy and Strategy to Solve Problems in the Southern Border Provinces.

Each member will prioritise his tasks and put them before the next meeting so the team can proceed with clarity and correct prioritisation in line with the government’s policy, he said.