Malaysia fears Thai violence could spread

Malaysia fears Thai violence could spread

M. Jegathesan, Agence France-Press, Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia said on Wednesday it had tightened security along its frontier with southern Thailand as it feared violence between suspected Muslim rebels and security forces could spill over the border.

Deputy Defense Minister Zainal Abidin Zin told AFP Malaysia's military had to ensure that the rebels did not infiltrate this Muslim country as they fled Thai forces after clashes which left at least 127 people dead.

"Security along our northern border with Thailand has been beefed up following the military operation in southern Thailand," he said.

"We fear Thailand's military sweep could cause a spill-over of violence into Malaysia. We have to take preventive measures to stop any infiltration of the groups that are being pursued by Thai military," he said.

The clashes between security forces and suspected Muslim rebels in Thailand's south on Wednesday were the bloodiest day in the history of the troubled region, officials said.

Police and soldiers battled armed groups who launched dawn attacks at 10 locations in the three provinces of Yala, Pattani and Songkhla which lie near the Malaysian border, the authorities said.

The attacks were the latest in a series in Thailand's southern provinces, which over the past four months have claimed the lives of some 65 security force personnel, government officials and Buddhist monks.

Zainal told AFP Malaysia would ensure that the rebels "do not try to hide in our territory," touching on an issue which caused friction between the two countries earlier this month.

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra flew to Kuala Lumpur on April 12 to smooth relations after Malaysia expressed irritation over his charges that it was harboring separatists who fled after attacks in Thailand.

He won a pledge of full support from Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who said Malaysia was totally opposed to terrorism and viewed the situation in southern Thailand "with serious concern".

Zainal said Malaysia's army had "very good ties" with the Thai military but had not received any call for assistance.

Apart from increased military security, the police were on alert and conducting close checks at all border crossings while air surveillance could also be deployed to monitor any intrusions.

Zainal said the government was advising Malaysians not to travel to southern Thailand, but a security official at the Padang Besar checkpoint in northern Perlis state said Malaysians and Thais continued to cross the border as normal.

"There is no reduction. On average about 2,000 people cross the border daily since the troubled areas are far from here -- some 90 minutes road journey away," he said.

Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist nation but about 5 percent of the population is Muslim, most of them living in the five southern provinces bordering Malaysia's northern fundamentalist Muslim heartland.

The region was plagued by separatist unrest until the 1980s when the Thai government managed to curb militant activity, but violence has flared again this year.