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| Southeast Asia |
| Village protection units in southern Thailand offer new hope |
| 2014-09-06 |
| In an attempt at better security measures against violence in the deep South, the public is taking a greater part in looking out for danger through the Village Protection Unit (VPU) project. Local unit members work with civil defense volunteers recruited from elsewhere under the Interior Ministry's supervision. Village Protection units offer a tactical advantage - they can instantly identify strangers and keep an eye on them. The volunteers, on the other hand, need time to verify someone's identity - which in some cases could be too late. The units' active role with villagers and schools means security officials can be relieved of this routine, which lessens the risk of According to Haseng Pakasae, the leader of a VPU team in Narathiwat, says the involvement of locals in this security operation had prompted separatist sympathizers to provide authorities with inside information about |
| Posted by:ryuge |