Insurgent Activity Gains in North-Central Thailand
Th.e Cor-
mur.ist activity in Che north-COntral area is a fresh reminder oC tlie difficulties the Thaifaces in bringingunder control.
Security has deteriorated rapidly in theei border region, where only three months ago there was no overt insurrection. successfully attacked ahill-tribe training in late November and since then have almost continuously harassed police and military units. Vox almob- two weeks, the guerrillas have beenback efforts to evacuate provincial police platoonsin two tribal villages. At least one helicopter has beer, shot down as it tried to resup-ply the beleaguered men.
It is not clear how nany insurgents are involved in the north-central offensive, or whether they have been augmented with elementso'.. The tenacity, skill, and planning that the insurgents havehowever, make this their best effort since the Thaibegan four years ago and suggest that veterans are leading the insurrection.
The guerrillas arethe government's embryonic village security programs, and the already tenuous hold of the government on the allegiance of the tribal people has been further weakened. Government reaction thus far has beento sporadic air strikes and piecemealew joint command headquar-ters has beer, set up in the area, however, in an effort to improve coordination among the various security elements operating there.
The reverses the government has suffered in theregion over the past month havetrong psychological effect that may be prolonged. Rumors among the Thai population in the area about otherguerrilla attacksense of insecurity andthat the Communists have failed to generate elsewhere in Thailand. Strong racial feeling has also been whipped up by the fact that the insurgents are largely Meo tribesmen.
The difficulties thehave been encountering in the northeast, where insurgent activity is stillow level, may be one reason that Communist efforts in the north and north-central areas have increased. Although the Communists probably believe that the future of the insurgency will not be decided among the tribal people, they may calculate that dramatic in the tribal areas willeeded sense offor their over-all
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