Thai peace drive makes no headway in Muslim south

BANGKOK, Feb 13 (Reuters) Thailand's army-appointed government acknowledged today its peace campaign in the rebellious Muslim south was making no headway.

''Evaluation reports have suggested that government officials are not getting much response from villagers'' in the region where more than 2,000 people have been killed in three years of separatist violence, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said.

''Only when we get more cooperation from the people will efforts to restore peace in the region be realised and violence recede,'' said Surayud, who has promised the Malay-speaking region considerable autonomy if the violence stops.

Officials should bring in Islamic religious leaders to help explain to villagers on the benefits of development projects the government, installed after a September coup, had promised, Surayud told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

His remarks came a day after a visit by Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who promised to help speed up efforts to develop their common border area to help end three the violence although few details have emerged.

Insurgent attacks have not diminished since Surayud went to the south soon after his appointment to apologise for the hard line taken by ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

He promised a place for Islamic Sharia law and development aid for one of the poorer areas of predominantly Buddhist Thailand, which annexed the former sultanate a century ago.

Since militants stole almost 400 rifles from an army camp and set dozens of schools of fire in January 2004, a climate of fear has pervaded the region patrolled by about 20,000 police and soldiers, mostly Buddhists.

Muslim villagers are reluctant to cooperate with the authorities, fearing becoming a target in one of the many daily attacks for which nobody claims responsibility.

REUTERS SY PM1254