Malaysia leader says hard task to soothe Thai south

LANGKAWI, Malaysia, Oct 17 (Reuters) Malaysia's former premier said today it would be a tough task to establish peace in Thailand's troubled south because there was no single disciplined group that could help stop the violence.

But Mahathir Mohamad, who has drawn up a peace roadmap to try to end three years of unrest in Thailand's Muslim-majority south, said Bangkok's softer attitude towards the Muslims could help the peace process.

''I think it's going to be a long process because there's not just a single group, a very disciplined force that can be told, 'Look, no more violence, surrender your arms','' Mahathir said after a meeting with southern Thai Muslim clerics on the Malaysian resort island of Langkawi.

''There are very many groups. Some belong to well-known groups like PULO, but there are also groups which are off on their own,'' Mahathir told reporters after his talks with seven clerics from Pattani, who were clad in long white robes and turbans.

''They (the groups) get angry over something and they carry out some violent acts,'' he added. ''I don't think this can be settled just at one go. You just sign (a peace document) and everything is over. That's not the way things could happen.'' Thai police said two rubber-tappers and a state electricity worker were killed in the country's south on Monday, the latest victims of turmoil in which more than 1,700 people have died.

A spate of killings this week in Yala, one of the three troubled provinces bordering Malaysia, are likely to dampen hopes of a fall in violence after last month's coup against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

THAKSIN'S REMOVAL Even though many community leaders in the far south blamed Thaksin for the unrest, his removal has had little impact on the daily cycle of violence in a region where 80 per cent of people are Malay Muslim and do not speak Thai as a first language. Thaksin's army-appointed successor, Surayud Chulanont, travels to Kuala Lumpur tomorrow, with diplomats saying he is likely to discuss Malaysia's offer to host peace talks between Bangkok and leaders of the rebellion.

The offer follows a revelation that Mahathir had held a series of talks with insurgent leaders over the last year under a peace drive backed by Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

The biggest stumbling block to a peace plan could well be whether the Thai government was willing to talk to the rebels, Mahathir said.

''I think they have come to a stage where they want to talk, so they need a response from the government, but of course the actual terms -- that will have to be negotiated by them.'' Mahathir said he was willing to continue in the role of negotiator. ''If people want me to play a role, I'm quite prepared ... but I'm not pushing myself.'' He added that the attitude of the new Thai government was a lot more reconciliatory than that of Thaksin's administration.

''I think the attitude of the new government is certainly much more positive towards dealing with the south, not through use of force but through having a dialogue with the south, having some discussions with the south,'' he said.

''When 70 people died because of being packed in a lorry, Thaksin refused even to say sorry and it hurt a lot of people,'' Mahathir added. ''The present government is not so harsh, but is willing to find a way to solve this problem.'' REUTERS BDP BD1808