Placating The South

In early May Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej went on his first - unannounced - visit to the insurgency-ridden South. With an entourage of top military and police brass he met local Muslim leaders and praised the border provinces for their co-operation with the authorities to reduce rebel attacks. The new administration can do little else but tread carefully in the early months of its tenure and has promised pardoning insurgents that hand in their weapons and abandon anti-government activities. However, there is likely to be lingering mistrust on both sides and while attacks have subsided in recent months, further eruptions

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