The newly appointed commander of the 4th Army Region, Lt Gen Santi Sakuntanark, says security authorities will avoid the use of force against suspected insurgents in the strife-torn southern border provinces except for self-defence as law enforcement is stepped up to deal with them.
He also emphasised the urgent need to clamp down on the problem of illicit drugs in the far South while peace talks with the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) separatist movement will go ahead.
