Dubbed "Overcoming Violence through the Power of Reconciliation", the commission released the report on June 5 as a comprehensive guideline to contain violence in the restive south by peaceful means.

"We applaud the commission and its chairman former Thai Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun for their efforts to address the violence afflicting southern Thailand," said a statement by the US State Department seen on its website on Thursday.

"The NRC's distinguished members have worked hard over the past year to find solutions that address both security concerns and issue of injustice," it said.

The 15 month-old commission was automatically dissolved after the release of the report, which also submitted to the government.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose previous measures to contain violence heavily rely on military means, said his government would implement the solutions suggested by NRC as soon as possible.

The government assigned one of itsponsored Independent Commission on Justice and Civil Liberties of the Southern Border Provinces (ICJC) to further study the findings. The army also said it would follow the NRC's guildlines.

None of solutions recommended by the report has been picked up to enforce so far.

The NRC proposed to set up a special "unarmed army" and engage in dialogue with militants to end violence in the predominantly Muslim region.

As political measures, the commission proposed the passing of the Peaceful Reconciliation in the Southern Border Provinces Act to build lasting peace in the region. The act would establish three bodies: the Peaceful Strategic Administrative Centre for Southern Border Provinces (PSAC), the Southern Border Provinces Area Development Council and the Fund for Healing and Reconciliation.

The PSAC would represent a rebirth of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre dissolved by Thaksin in 2002.

The US statement said it recongnized that the reconciliation will be a longterm challenge for the Thai people. "We continue to urge a peaceful resolution of this internal issue that balance security with respect of the rule of law and the sanctity of human right," the US statement said.

The Nation