Gaddafi son meets Thai coup leader on southern Thai insurgency

Bangkok, Dec 11 (UNI) Saif al'Islam Gaddafi, son of legendary Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi held talks here today with Thai coup leader and deputy Prime Minister Sonthi Boonyaratkalin on the southern Thai insurgency.

The Libyan leader's son heads the development foundation set up by the Gaddafi family and is visiting southeast Asian nations troubled by Islamic insurgencies.

Local media reports here quoted Thai officials at the meeting saying Mr Gaddafi told Mr Sonthi, he was ''misinformed'' that southern Thai Muslims faced discrimination in Buddhist-majority Thailand.

According to Thai officials, Mr Gadaffi would report back to the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC).

Mr Gaddafi was scheduled to leave for the Philippines today to assess the situation in the insurgency-troubled southen Mindanao region of that country where the Gaddafi foundation runs a number of development projects.

More than 2,500 people have been killed in continuing insurgent violence in Thailand's three southern border Muslim-majority provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala since early 2004.

UNI