Starting Points: Southern Thailand

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Nov 2, 2009

Chavalit pushing special zone for South - Bangkok Post

Puea Thai Party chairman Chavalit Yongchaiyudh is proposing the establishment of a special administrative area comprising the three troubled provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.

The former prime minister said he would put forward the idea at meetings with local leaders during his trip to the far South, which begins tomorrow.

He said on Monday that he believed he would get their support.

Gen Chavalit said this was the best way he could help the government tackle the insurgency problem in the southern region.

He was proposing the three provinces form a self-administration area. As in other special administrative areas, legislation would have to be passed to enable it, he said.

Central to the idea was to give due honour and importance to the local people, who hold to a different culture and religion from people in other regions of Tnailand, he said.

Gen Chavalit said the Puea Thai Party had invited members of other parties to join him on his trip, including Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin of Matuphum, Areepen Uttarasin of the Democrats and Wae Mahadi Wae-dao of Puea Pandin, as well as Senator Den Tomeena.

Gen Chavalit and other senior members of Puea Thai this morningh launch the parties new security and foreign affairs policy, "Peaceful Thailand, being friends with neighbours".

He said that since the Sept 19, 2006 coup the people had been split into two groups - pro-parliament and pro-dictatorship. The conflict between them had become increasingly serious.

The government should no longer pay attention to amending the constitution and instead concentrate on solving this conflict, which had also affected relations with neighbouring countries.

The Puea Thai chairman said from the middle of this month he would begin a series of overseas visits - to Malaysia, Burma, Vietnam, Laos and China - to promote bilateral relations with under the party's nw policy.

"Our policy is to bring peace to the Thai people," he said.

Gen Chavalit said that in Malaysia he would seek cooperation in agriculture and promote the Halal food industry.

He would then visit Burma before proceeding to Vietnam. He said Vo Nguyen Giap, the Vietnamese Dien Bien Phu hero who is now 90 years old, is an old friend.

Gen Chavalit said he would then visit Laos, where he is also friends with several cabinet ministers, before ending his tour in China.

He said relations with neighbouring countries were very important and he did not understanding why the current Thai leadership had overlooked this matter.