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BANGKOK (The Nation/Asia News Network): To align with the Democrat Party’s idea of “develop wealth, people, nation, and peace”, Pattani needs to be a peaceful place for all people, regardless of their religions and beliefs, party leader Jurin Laksanawisit said on Monday (March 6).
Southern Thailand, especially the three provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat, have been embroiled in violence perpetrated by insurgency groups for years.
During the party’s visit to Pattani, Jurin said that Democrat once had been successful in bringing peace to Thailand's southern region when Chuan Leekpai was the prime minister.
He added that if elected, the party would cut the 400-billion-baht budget allocated by the current government for dealing with unrest in Thailand's deep South.
He added that his party would come up with policies to promote border trade, tourism, and halal food in an effort to help the southern region progress to the same level as other areas.
The party’s policies include income insurance for farmers, fishery subsidies, land ownership for locals, and community subsidies, together with the development of local fisheries to comply with Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing rules, he said.
The Democrat Party recently introduced its five new candidates in Pattani province.
Jurin urged voters to support Democrat candidates, emphasising the need for both the party and the people to collaborate in order to establish peace and move the region forward.
Meanwhile, Watanya Bunnag, a member of the Democrat Party, said that “since Pattani is considered to be the province with the lowest income in the country, its people needed to be freed from the poverty trap”.
Pattani's beautiful nature and richness of culture can be enhanced with the help of all sectors, she said.
The South of Thailand used to be the party’s stronghold. However, in the 2019 general election, Democrats won only 22 out of 50 MP seats in the southern region, compared to the 2011 election, when the party swept 50 out of 53 seats.
