Southern unrest poses high psychological impact on residents

SONGKHLA, June 26 (TNA) - The southern violence has inflicted
psychological impact on locals, while a new trend of brainwashing young men with outstanding academic records to incite unrest was emerging.

Director of the Mental Health Centre of the three southern most provinces,
Dr Petchdao Tomeena , said in the 2nd National Conference on Mental Health
Crisis, although unrest in the southernmost provinces occurred less
frequently, the psychological impact on residents was increasingly high.

Mental Health Department Director-General Somchai Chakrabhand, MD, also
present at the conference, said public health officials, soldiers,
policemen and teachers were the occupations most under perpetual stress
caused by the on-going precariousness of the situation.

Data collected from January 2007 to March 2008—by the Mental Health
Development Administrative Centre of the southern border
provinces—reported almost 1,400 cases of violence, 2,800 of injury and 740
of death.

The three most violence-viable venues in the restive south, in order were
streets, private residences and goods/service outlets.

The provinces with the most reported casualties and violent cases were
Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani, respectively.

The Department of Mental Health was, therefore, recruiting 70 more mental
health personnel to attend to those affected in the violence-plaqued
areas.

Meanwhile, Dr Petchdao revealed another trend among insurgents in the
restive south was brainwashing young men with outstanding academic records
to incite unrest. (TNA)