The Thai embassies in Europe consistently reported about movement of the exiled separatists to security concern agencies, he said.

Junta chief Sonthi Boonyaratglin instructed in a cabinet meeting on Tuesday to the ministry to solicit information about Thai nationals who have resettled in Sweden and other countries in Europe, following reports linking them to violence in predominantly Muslim region.

Many of them used to live in Malaysia but later were expelled from the country for "misbehaving", according to Sonthi.

"The groups we have followed and reported back to Bangkok are both previous generation of separatist such as member of the Patani United Liberation Organisation (Pulo) and new generation no matter how they linked each other," Tharit told reporters.

Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram would meet his Swedish counterpart Carl Bildt to discuss the matter on the sideline of a meeting of the Asia Europe Meeting in Hamburg, Germany next week, he said.

Stockholm likely provided cooperation to monitor movement of Thai separatists, Tharit said and noted that "but such coooperation would be under legal restriction to protect their freedom of movement in accordance with Swedish laws."

However, the ministry declined to give further details of the separatists in exile in term of numbers and name lists under its surveillance. Their activities in Europe reported to Bangkok

Last year, the Thai government rejected an offer from Sweden to mediate peace deal in the south.

Sweden, which has a history of mediating in separatist conflicts, is home to a number of exiled Malay leaders from southern Thailand.

by Supalak Ganjanakhundee

The Nation