Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont yesterday began a tour of the Muslim South, his third visit in fewer than four months.

His purpose is to promote peace and encourage reconciliation between Muslim and Buddhist residents.

He spoke to about 1,500 local officials and Muslim leaders and said development was the key to long-term prosperity in the region and success in ending insurgent violence.

Religious teachings and mainstream education for Muslim youth should be provided alongside one other, he told the group. The government will promote educational-exchange programmes between Thai-Muslim students and those in other Muslim countries.

He said Southeast Asia was home to the world's largest Muslim population and regional natural resources were abundant.

"If we have failed to take advantage of these factors to develop the country and ourselves it is no different from throwing away a great chance on purpose," he added.

Surayud pledged to end violence and develop the region into a regional transportation and economic hub.

Pattani Muslim Committee head Madaeramae Mamingi praised Surayud and his visit, saying it was vital to ending violence and seeing action on development initiatives.

He pleaded for greater recognition for junior officials and local people.

Senior Yala cleric Nimu Magaje regarded Surayud's visit as a gesture of trust between the prime minister, clerics and community leaders. He said Surayud's approach would win support from local residents.

"In the past it has been mostly instruction on state policy and assignments from high-ranking ministers to junior officials, but this time the country's leader arrived himself, a great encouragement to local people," he added.

Before Surayud arrived in Pattani yesterday morning, suspected Muslim insurgents shot dead a policeman and torched a school in the province. The unidentified officer was shot and killed while on patrol late on Friday night.