INSURGENCY
Positive signals in the South, says Surayud
Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont meets Yala Muslims during a visit yesterday to discuss violence in the deep South.
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Talks with old separatists opens line of communication; dialogue possible as militants 'don't see an end game'
Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said there was "positive feedback" from separatist groups over "dialogue" but maintained more work was needed before there could be lasting peace in the South. Speaking at a news conference after meeting security and provincial officials, Surayud said Malaysia had helped open communication links with militant groups. He refused to say if Kuala Lumpur would mediate. Pattani United Liberation Organisation (Pulo) foreign-affairs chief Kasturi Mahkota said the group welcomed Surayud's statement. It was a "positive gesture". "It appears all sides are moving in the right direction and the conditions for dialogue appear to be positive," Kasturi said. Formal dialogue between Pulo and the government has not commenced. A Fourth Army Region senior officer said on condition of anonymity the "positive feedback" came from both members of long-standing separatist groups abroad and active militant cells in Thailand. "It's not a negotiation at this juncture. We are looking to build on this channel of communication with members of the long-standing separatist groups abroad and with militant cells on the ground," he said. The government and military have yet to formulate a platform or strategy for formal dialogue, he said. However, a cease-fire by militant cells in contact with the government will be high on the agenda, he added. "Some cell members feel their struggle has no end in sight and have begun to question the whole idea behind daily attacks. They don't see an end game," he said. Military analysts believe there was a loose link between the new generation of militants on the ground and established groups such as Pulo and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional. They said the groups may not share the same command as the insurgents but believed they could influence younger militants. Another senior government official who attended yesterday's briefing with Surayud said the prime minister called on officials in the region not to give militants opportunities to exploit. "This will jeopardise the possibility of establishing meaningful dialogue with separatists". Surayud told reporters yesterday the government would continue its policy of "reconciliation through peaceful means". He said the government planned to increase spending in the South in the next fiscal year. This money will go to education, transport, and agriculture. Meanwhile, a husband and wife Rormalee Serni, 38, and Horeema Saleh, 30, of Ban Chong Kao in Yala's Bannang Sata district were found shot dead yesterday in the rubber plantation where they worked. The bodies, about 400 metres apart, had been lying there for five days, officials said. In Tambon Talingchan of the same district, Muhammed-hali Sideh, 42, was found shot dead on a road near a rubber plantation.
Don Pathan The Nation YALA
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