No drug, al-Qaeda money in the South: Pulo

Pulo's foreign affairs chief, Kasturi Mahkota, said such as statement was "vague, baseless and irresponsible" and was detrimental to "the effort of the searching for permanent peace in the areas of formerly known as 'The Malay Kingdom of Patani' which presently comprises of Patani, Narathiwat, Yala and parts of Songkhla province districts." 

Kasturi said Pulo stands by "fellow liberation movements" and does not condone "any form of international terrorism" and reject any suggestion that the group receive financial financial support from terrorist groups or have any link with drug syndicates because these activities were against Islamic principle. 

He called Thailand's policy towards the Malay-speaking South "racist".

He accused the authorities of turning a blind eye on target killings and assassination and blaming these incidents on the militants.

"The Patanis will never get justice as long as they are subjected to bow to the present discriminatory alien Thai jurisdiction," Kasturi said. 

Confusion surfaced Friday when government's spokesman Chaiya Yimvilai, suggested that Al Qaeda may have links to the militants in the South but quickly toned down his statement to state that the insurgents received funding from abroad, as well as drug syndicates.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said there was no evidence to support the claim that Al Qaeda was supporting the southern separatists, saying that they might share similar ideologies.

The Nation