The Prime Minister praised SBPAC officials for their strong spirit and sacrifice in the mission to build peace in the southern border provinces, emphasizing that giving up is not an option as long as peace is not achieved. Meanwhile, the Federation of Islamic Schools and media representatives submitted a complaint about IO attacks.
At 12:15 p.m. on 17 April 2026, at the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC) in Mueang District, Yala Province, Anutin Charnvirakul, the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, in his role as chairman of the Strategic Committee for Southern Border Provinces Development, met with executives, civil servants, and staff of the SBPAC. The Prime Minister said, “May peace be with everyone. I am very glad to be here at SBPAC. I deeply admire the dedication and sacrifice of all of you working in the southern border provinces because this is not an easy task. We deal with problems every day, and each one is very serious. Only those with strong dedication and resilience can endure this mission. I want to express my sincere admiration.”
Anutin added, “We are all willing to meet with you today to ensure that the government fully supports your work to bring progress, prosperity, peace, and security to this area. I stand firmly by the principles of peace, harmony, and unity, which we must achieve. Here, we have people of all religions—Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity—the main faiths of our nation. Why can’t we live together? We must coexist as fellow Thais. We must understand, reach out, and develop. The government is ready to fully support this.”
The Prime Minister further revealed, “We want peace here because this area can generate economic wealth, income, and become a place everyone wants to visit. Imagine if there were no unrest; Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat would be very beautiful. Why do we let our strengths hide behind walls, allowing unrest and division to emerge? We must build understanding because all sides suffer and lose; no one wins from this. We have spoken about this for many years, but we cannot stop. As long as peace is not realized, we must continue until it happens. We cannot be discouraged or retreat because if we do, everything stops and reverses, and unexpected problems arise. There is no other way; we must work together. The government is ready to support. We must live together, and everything will move forward as a driving force.”
Afterwards, representatives from the Federation of Islamic Schools in the southern border and Ms. Thapanee Iadsrichai, a reporter for the Sammiti program on Thai TV Channel 3 and founder of The Reporter news agency, submitted a complaint to the Prime Minister requesting an investigation into IO attacks spreading false information through online media. They were accused of being 'thief journalists' and BRN spokespersons following an interview with the Fourth Army commander before the news was even published.
Ms. Thapanee stated that these attacks not only target journalists but also networks of local associations such as the Federation of Private Religious Schools, the Federation of Islamic Schools, and the Federation of Tadika Schools, all of which have become targets of IO as well. She expressed concern that such actions could be harmful, incite hatred, increase safety risks for those involved, and negatively affect the peace process in the southern border provinces. Representatives of these associations submitted a letter to the Prime Minister urging urgent investigation and resolution of these issues.
The Prime Minister responded that the government is aware of the problem and will expedite measures to address it. He emphasized that any physical harm caused by government officials will not be tolerated and, if it occurs, it will not be considered an act of the state. He will instruct relevant agencies at the upcoming security meeting this afternoon. Additionally, the Prime Minister took a friendly selfie with SBPAC officials and staff.