solved through negotiations provided that there must be sincere

commitment from the Thai government side in handling the

problem-solving process," said Pulo's foreign affair chief Kasturi

Mahkota in a statement sent to The Nation from Sweden.

"If Thai government is truly anxious to save the lives of, be they

Thai settlers or Malays in the Patani provinces, then it is obvious

that the conflict must end immediately to secure the best interests of

both," Kasturi said.

"The Thai Commander-in-Chief's idea will not be successful if this is

just a reaction in the wake of 22 Yala bank branches bombing, without

taken into account of the roots of the conflicts," he added.

Sonthi has suggested that the government let go of its long standing

policy of not negotiating with Malay separatist organisations as a

measure to bring about an end ot the ongoing violence in the restive

region.

Pulo is one of the main Malay separatist organisation that emerged in

the late 1960s under the leadership of Tengku Bira Kotanila and

reached its height in the following decade as the organisation

established representative offices in the Middle East countries to

lobby for support. A blanket amnesty programme from the Thai state

crippled the group, as well as other organisation such as the Barisan

Revolusi Nasional (BRN), and the leaders were forced into exile in

Europe and the Middle East.

In a statement, Kasturi said any negotiation must be arranged by a

third party. He did not singled out which particular organization but

informed sources said European-based international non-governmental

organizations could be a potential candidate.

According to Kasturi, Pulo officials must be considered as official

capacity of the organization and that immunity must be fully granted

to the delegates.

The Nation