Malaysia hands over PULO suspect to Thai

Malaysia hands over PULO suspect to Thai

THAILAND: Malaysia has handed over a suspected leader of the
separatist Pattani United Liberation Organization (PULO) to Thai
authorities, Interior Minister Kongsak Wantanna confirmed on
Thursday.

"There was an arrest warrant for this man issued in Pattani,"
said Kongsak, before departing for Hat Yai, 710 kilometers south
of Bangkok, to interrogate Manasae Jaeloh, 35.

Manasae, who was recently arrested by Malaysian authorities in
Kuala Lumpur, was handed over to Thai authorities on Tuesday. He
is a prime suspect in a series of bombings and other acts of
violence in Thailand's deep South, which comprises the three
provinces Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala.

"He was also involved in the 1992 bomb blast at Hat Yai train
station," said Kongsak, adding that the suspected separatist had
received military training in Libya.

Thailand praised Malaysia for extraditing Manasae, who has a
one million baht (US$24,390) bounty on his head.

The development is expected to improve Thai-Malaysia ties that
have been strained by increasing violence in the majority Moslem
deep South since last year.

Separatist struggles such as that waged by PULO have simmered
in the area for decades, fueled by a sense of cultural, ethnic
and religious differences from the predominantly Buddhist,
Bangkok-based Thai nation. -- DPA