Abhisit charges Thaksin meeting insurgent leaders

BANGKOK, April 8 (TNA) - Opposition Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Sunday his party has solid evidence that fugitive, ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had held secret talks with insurgent leaders whose followers had created violence and killed people in deep southern Thailand for decades. Mr. Abhisit told journalists that his party was preparing to hand out information concerning Mr. Thaksin, ousted in a bloodless coup in September 2006, meeting with insurgent leaders at undisclosed places to the government. The information must be submitted to government on a confidentiality basis because of its importance, he said, adding that his party obtained the information not only from the website but from several concerned parties. Mr. Abhisit’s remarks were made after the coalition government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, younger sister of Mr. Thaksin, challenged the Democrat Party to disclose the information concerning the meeting. Touching on meetings between Pol. Col. Thawee Sodsong, secretary-general of Southern Border Provinces Administration Center, with the owner of a Thai restaurant in Malaysia, Mr. Abhisit said his party was informed from several people, including from Malaysian officials, that the meetings were held at several times. More than 5,000 persons, including civilians, security forces, monks, teachers and insurgents had been killed since the insurgency re-erupted in the three Muslim-majority provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat in early 2004. On repeated remarks made by ex-prime minister Gen. Chawalit Yongchaiyuth that he still favoured a setting up of Pattani State in order to solve the insurgency problem in the deep South, Mr. Abhisit said the idea was sensitive and could cause confusion in the society. The idea was used in campaigns by a political party during the contest for the general election last July. But apparently it did not win a seat in the election, he said, adding that the idea was rejected by the people in the area. (TNA)