The army has issued new security guidelines for southern monks on their morning alms rounds in the wake of a deadly bombing in Pattani on Saturday.
The order signed by Fourth Army commander Prakarn Cholayuth limits the routes monks can take on their alms rounbds for their safety. It has been circulated to all governors, officials and security units in the southern border provinces.
Monks will be allowed to leave temples to gather alms only in "safety zones" cleared by security authorities in advance, says the order, which assigns defence volunteers to accompany all groups of monks leaving and returning to their temples.
Lt Gen Prakarn advised monks including those in remote temples to stay at their places if their planned route outside the temple is deemed dangerous by authorities. Worshippers will be taken to the temples to offer them alms, he added.
The order was issued after a monk was killed by the Saturday morning bomb in Sai Buri district of Pattani. The explosive hidden in a garbage bin went off as a group of monks with soldiers guarding them was on a street to receive alms. One soldier also died and six people were injured including another monk.
