Malaysia’s Mahathir to visit for talks next month

Published on October 21, 2005 - Former Malaysian prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohammed will visit Thailand next month as the guest of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) chief Anand Panyarachun will be invited to take part in discussions over bilateral relations.

Thaksin did not elaborate yesterday but confirmed he would discuss bilateral issues with the former leader who continues to command a great deal of respect in the country and abroad.

Thaksin said Anand had issued the invitation to Mahathir on his behalf during his visit to the country about a week ago.

Mahathir, who will arrive on November 21, has criticised Thailand on a number of occasions. He once suggested the country should grant autonomy to the Muslim-majority region in the deep South as part of a measure to end the ongoing violence that has claimed 1,000 lives since January 2004.

He compared the situation in the three southernmost provinces to occupied Palestine.

The visit was announced amid an ongoing war of words between the two governments over the fate of 131 Thai Muslims who in August fled their villages in Narathiwat, reportedly out of fear.

The incident proved to be humiliating for Thaksin who was furious that Kuala Lumpur had permitted the UN refugee agency to interview and process them.

Thaksin said yesterday a number of insurgents are hiding in Malaysia and he had asked the authorities there to track them down. He played down the fact that Malaysia had not turned over any suspects, saying he was not really counting on Kuala Lumpur to do so.