SOUTHERN CONFLICT IS THAILAND'S INTERNAL PROBLEM, SAYS M'SIAN PM

by D.Arul Rajoo

BANGKOK, Dec 8 (Bernama) -- Though emphasising that the southern Thai
conflict is an internal problem and Thailand should be allowed to use its own
model to address it, Malaysia views the violence as a serious problem that
cannot be underestimated.

Prime Minister Najib Razak said Tuesday that Malaysia had no plan to
interfere in the domestic affairs of Thailand, but was willing to assist its
neighbour in whatever way acceptable to both parties.

Asked if the estimated 9,000 to 10,000 militants in the three southern
provinces bordering Malaysia would pose a serious threat to both countries,
Najib said it would certainly be a problem if left unchecked.

"We dont know the exact number (of militants), there are various numbers.
But it is a serious problem because the killings have been going on, the bomb
blasts have been going on, therefore we cannot underestimate the seriousness of
the problem," he told the Malaysian media after leading the Malaysian delegation
at the Fourth Annual Consultation with Thailand.

He said both Malaysia and Thailand needed to address the problem but so far
there was no noticeable involvement of foreign elements like the regional
terrorist group, Jemaah Islamiyah.

Najib also said that he was going ahead with the planned visit to Narathiwat
Wednesday with his Thai counterpart, Abhisit Vejjajiva, despite Monday night's
bomb blast that killed a couple near a hotel where delegates from both countries
were staying.

"Yes, Insyallah (God willing). I don't think the Thais will allow anything
to happen," said Najib, who will become the first Malaysian premier to visit the
restive province.

He said he was confident that the hosts would ensure security and safety for
leaders visiting their country.

"If they think it is not safe, they will not allow the visit to take place."

Earlier, he told a joint news conference with Abhisit after the meeting at
the Government House that the southern people should not consider separation
from the kingdom, but remain loyal to the country, its constitution and King.

At the same time, they should be allowed to continue with their own culture
and religion, as well to use their mother tongue and Islamic law, he added.

Najib said he told Abhisit that Malaysia was ready to provide assistance to
Thailand to overcome the conflict that had claimed more than 3,500 lives.

"The premier gave a candid explanation on Thailand's positive thinking and
strategy to bring peace. Malaysia, as a partner, will respect this as a domestic
problem," he said.

On his previous suggestion that Bangkok should offer autonomy to the Muslim
majority provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala, Najib said there was no
diasgreement on that matter with Abhisit and Malaysia was acceptable to any
model proposed by Thailand.

He said other models used in the southern Philippines and Acheh in Indonesia
might not be suitable for Thailand.

Abhisit said his government had already drawn plans that would allow for
decentralisation of authority, which gave more opportunities to the local people
there to elect their own leaders at both the provincial and district levels.

"We are also moving to lift the emergency decree and replaced it with a
special law," said Abhisit, who insisted that his government would continue to
engage with the local people and ruled out talks with any separatist groups as
no one had come forward to claim responsibility for the southern violence.

Abhisit said Malaysia was ready to facilitate communication with the local
people through capacity building, which would complement the Thai government's
emphasis on justice and economy for the people there.

"We are sending signals that we are taking incremental steps towards a
solution that will have to include a political dimension. I heartedly agree that
we would need to do it quickly, but we need to have an approach that is
acceptable and not disruptive to the relationships between the communities
within the region and within the country," he said.

Asked to comment on a newspaper report here Monday that he would return
home disappointed with the lack of progress in addressing the southern conflict,
Najib said it was not likely as he knew that it could not be solved overnight.

Najib also said that both countries would exchange biometric data to address
the dual-citizenship issue and added that there was no clear data at the moment
to show the number of people with nationalities on both sides.

On economic cooperation and trade, Najib said Thailand would despatch an
investment mission to Malaysia next year to boost its investment there. Trade
between the two countries stood at US$18.2 billion in 2008 compared with
US$16.5 billion in 2007, he said.

He said there were plans to boost economic cooperation between the
neighbours, including linking Malaysia's northern and eastern economic corridors
with Thailand's Southern Special Economic Zone.
-- BERNAMA