Local Muslims have not been swayed by hard-line insurgents, but govt has also failed to address their needs. As Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra struggles to disentangle himself from the scandals of the day, the situation in the deep South appears to have escalated.

HARD TALK: Shin sale: the straw that broke the camel’s back?

There could not have been a bigger contrast. Two weeks ago, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was in At Samat district of Roi Et trying to offer villagers lessons on how to deal with poverty. A week later, he was back in Bangkok relishing the fortune his family reaped from the biggest business deal in Thai history.

The ‘rational’ suicide bomber

Hamas’ surprise victory in the Palestinian parliamentary election has made the questions of who is a terrorist and how terrorism should be tackled more urgent than ever. How Hamas behaves in government will reveal whether terrorists and suicide bombers are alike in their implacability.