Thai Defense Minister Thammarak Isarangkura na Ayudhaya ordered the Forth Army to enforce martial law in southern provinces and reestablish a forward command post in response to attacks against authorities recently, the Bangkok Post reported Tuesday. 

Thammarak was quoted as saying that military needed reinforcement in southern provinces and the troop must move and apply full-scale force.

The government wants to strengthen martial law in Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani in the wake of the attacks on early Sunday which burnt down 20 schools, killed four soldiers and robbed the Narathiwat Ratchanakarin military camp of 102 guns.

For more than 10 years, martial law has been in effect in six districts of Narathiwat and five districts of Yala, however, the military did not enforce it seriously in the past.

Martial law has now been expanded to four more districts of Narathiwat and another district in Yala.

The southern region of Songkhla Province, 1,000 kilometers south from Bangkok, bordering Malaysia would come under martial law as well, the report said.

Martial law permits military personnel to search and detain suspects without charge or court warrant.

Furthermore, Thammarak told the Fourth Army to establish a forward command post, possibly in Narathiwat.

The last time the Fourth Army set up a forward command in the south was in 1980. It set up a post in Surat Thani, 700 kilometer south from Bangkok, to suppress an insurgency. The minister believes the motive for Sunday's attacks was to steal military weapons.

Local intelligence officials attributed the attacks to the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) and the Gerakan Mujahideen Islam Pattani separatist groups.

Masae Useng, a former Muslim teacher, who has ties with the BRN, was suspected of mobilizing, training young separatists and involving in the attack on the military camp. Authorities have searched Masae's school recently. 

(Xinhua News Agency January 6, 2004)