Thai premier seeks to mend ties with Muslim South

Thai premier seeks to mend ties with Muslim South

Agencies, Hat Yai, Thailand

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Thursday met with families of some of the Muslim rebels who died in last week's clashes, as he began a visit to the south under tight security.

After flying into the main southern city of Hat Yai under heavy guard, he drove to Saba Yoi district in Songkhla province, where 19 young Muslim men who all played on the same football team were among 108 rebels shot dead.

"I want to expressed regret over the incident. Nobody would ever want this kind of clash to happen among Thais. The problems stem from poverty and misunderstanding," he told a crowd of relatives.

"The clashes have caused losses on both sides, and we must prevent this kind of incident from recurring," he said in the rural district which was also tightly guarded.

The three-day trip is aimed at boosting morale after the bloodshed of last week, when the rebels were gunned down by security forces after they mounted attacks on police stations and checkpoints in three provinces.

"I have come here today to show the whole country that things are not as terrible as people think," Thaksin said.

The premier said before departing from Bangkok on the three- day trip that he was going to the south despite warnings from intelligence agencies that he could be targeted, and pleas from his family not to go.

"It's true that everyone is concerned about security for my visit to the south, including my wife and my children who asked me to postpone the trip, but I insisted on going ahead," he said.

It is Thaksin's fourth visit to the south since January, when a raid on an army weapons depot heralded a spate of violence that has seen almost daily attacks on government officials, police, soldiers and Buddhist monks.

The trouble is the worst seen in decades in the southern provinces bordering Malaysia, the scene of a sporadic Muslim separatist movement which until recently was thought not to have significant public support.

This year's upsurge in violence has sparked fears that local insurgent groups may have come under the influence of terror outfits like Jemaah Islamiyah or Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda movement.

Thaksin also blasted the international news media on Thursday, accusing foreign reporters of writing "bad and untrue stories" about recent violence in the country's far south.

Speaking to reporters at Government House shortly before his departure to the troubled southern provinces, Thaksin described international media coverage of the last week's clashes between security forces and suspected Islamic militants as "very bad".

"The foreign media is not behaving like a friend to Thailand. They always publish stories making Thailand look bad. We don't have to have their friendship. All we want is justice."

Thaksin added Thai authorities were closely monitoring Indonesian nationals who have traveled to the three worst-hit provinces, and that they would be deported if found to have breached any laws.

"We are monitoring movement by all foreign nationals who are embedded in the three provinces -- anyone found to have committed unlawful activities will be prosecuted or expelled," he said.

Thai authorities said Wednesday that the bodies of seven suspected Muslim militants killed in a raid on a mosque last week were being DNA-tested to determine if they are foreigners.

The bodies were not claimed by families after the raid on the Krue Se mosque which was the final showdown between security forces and rebels, leading to speculation they were not from Thailand.

Any evidence that some of those involved in last week's attacks were foreigners could suggest Thai separatists are working with foreign terrorists.

Thaksin confirmed Thailand had handed the names of 11 suspects accused of involvement in last week's clashes to the Malaysian government, as they were believed to have taken refuge across the border.