April 9, 2013, at 1245hrs, in front of the Cabinet Secretariat Building, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra gave an interview following the cabinet meeting that the cabinet acknowledged an order for all concerned Ministries to develop the southern border area according to the designated strategy once the budget was allocated, and to tighten security for both officials and the people.
On the question concerning Office of the National Security Council’s request to postpone talk with the Southern insurgents as originally set on April 29, 2013, PM Yingluck said she had not yet been informed, but the Government’s intent was to open talk to forge mutual understanding and trust which would lead to the solution process of the Southern conflict. However, it did not mean that the problem would come to an end just by one chance of peace talk since the Southern conflict was a sensitive issue and had been going on for so many years. Nevertheless, the Government insisted on ONSC officials to hold talks with diverse groups of stakeholders for the best public interest.
PM Yingluck added that the Government had ordered concerned authorities to tighten security in the area of conflict, and insisted that Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubumrung would definitely go down south as it was his duty, whereas her visit to the Deep South during the past weekend was to give officials in the field her encouragement.