March 19, 2008
Bangkok - Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said Tuesday his government would not hold peace talks with separatist militants fighting a deadly insurgency in southern provinces.
Nearly 3,000 people have been killed in more than four years of violence along Thailand's southern border with Malaysia.
The previous government had offered to open talks with the separatists, but the proposal was never taken up by the shadowy insurgents, according to AFP.
"Many government agencies do not agree with the idea of holding talks with militant groups. My government will definitely not hold talks with them," Samak told reporters after his weekly cabinet meeting.
But he insisted he would put resolving the unrest atop his political agenda.
"I will make this a priority and do my utmost to solve the problem in the south," Samak said.
The violence took a dramatic turn last weekend when a car bomb exploded outside a luxury hotel that had been considered a safe zone for visiting political and business leaders.
Interior Minister Chalerm Yubamrung told reporters earlier Tuesday that he had "no idea how to solve this problem."
"The southern unrest is a very serious problem. It's about their religion and their beliefs, and their grievances about discrimination," Chalerm said.
Samak is to hold an emergency meeting with security officials on Friday.
Muslims in Thailand have long complained that the government in Bangkok has tried to impose Thai language and culture on the region, which is mainly Muslim and ethnic Malay.
The conflict is entering its fifth year, but Thailand has made little visible progress even in identifying the people or groups behind the attacks.
