Mahathir to talk on Thai south unrest

Mahathir to talk on Thai south unrest

THAILAND: Malaysia's former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad
was expected in Thailand later on Monday for talks as an Islamic
insurgency in Thailand's south has strained ties between the two
countries.

The private visit, which includes a meeting with Thai Prime
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, comes amid near daily killings in
the three Muslim-majority provinces bordering Malaysia.

A key point in the discussions is expected to be the flight of
131 Thai Muslims to Malaysia in August, which has hurt relations
between the neighbors.

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi offered on
Saturday to do all he could to resolve the lingering row, saying
"We want to help in any way we can," after a meeting with Thaksin
in South Korea.

Security analysts have said the situation in southern
Thailand, where more than 1,000 people have died in the unrest
since January 2004, could spread and destabilize Southeast Asia
if not properly handled.

Mahathir, who after two years has not faded quietly into
retirement, said in September that Malaysia should offer asylum
to the Thai Muslims. He also called on Thailand to give autonomy
to the southern provinces -- a suggestion that Thai leaders have
rejected. -- AFP