With the predominantly Muslim deep South continuing its descent into chaos, officials are still busying themselves with their petty turf wars. Such institutional rivalry is evident not only at the district and provincial levels in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, all three of which are now a war zone, but nationally as well.

Key players in this sinister game include embattled caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and members of his inner circle, such as caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya, caretaker Interior Minister Kongsak Wantana and national police chief General Kowit Wattana on one side, and Army Commander-in-Chief Sonthi Boonyaratglin on the other. As a professional soldier with demonstrable political neutrality, Sonthi has been cold-shouldered by Thaksin.

Two months ago, Sonthi was ordered to lead government efforts to suppress the insurgency by Islamic militants/Malay separatists - but not given the authority to demand full cooperation from local police and provincial authorities. Virtually all police units and local administrative offices in the three southernmost provinces continue to operate independently and with minimal coordination.

Local police and provincial officials report directly to their masters in Bangkok. It remains unclear to what extent Sonthi can exert his untested power, if at all. For example, no one knows whether he can give direct orders to provincial governors or police chiefs if he wants to launch concerted action against the insurgents.

The way things stand, Sonthi is expected to spend most of his time conducting endless rounds of consultations with local administrators and police chiefs, trying to persuade them to cooperate - assuming his initiatives have not been scuttled by Thaksin and his henchmen in the first place.

The Army chief's chance to achieve any measure of success in restoring peace in this strife-torn region depends on his ability to mobilise manpower and available resources from among all of the security agencies, to engage insurgents militarily and win the hearts and minds of the local citizens, most of whom are Muslim Thais of Malay descent.

It is an open secret that Sonthi has been not only isolated by Thaksin and other top government leaders, but also singled out for blame in regard to the insurgent attacks that have occurred in the deep South ever since he was assigned to lead the fight down there.

But his chances of getting what he really needs to do his job are very remote.

To appreciate the difficult situation Sonthi has found himself in, one only has to look at how top officials in Bangkok reacted to the latest attacks.

The first thing Thaksin did when he heard about what happened in Yala was once again make the incredible claim that he had been aware all along of the plot to launch more terror in the troubled region, and to say Sonthi should be spending more time down there. Instead of asking provincial authorities and local police in no uncertain terms to cooperate fully with Sonthi, Kongsak and Kowit apparently preferred to stand aside.

It is not far from the truth to say Sonthi is fighting a war on two fronts. Both his political masters in Bangkok and the Islamic militants/Malay separatists want him to fail. It is appalling to see government leaders stoop so low as to pursue such a sinister political game.

Sonthi must be given what he needs in order to have a fighting chance against the insurgents. For government leaders to fiddle while the deep South burns verges on treason, because that only aids the insurgents, who are bent on undermining the Thai state's authority, destroying local economies and breaking down social cohesion.