Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva joins former MPs from the South to announce the party’s peace campaign, ‘Democrat Buleh’ (Democrats Can Do).

The SBPAC was set up nearly two decades ago to handle situational violence in the region during the 1980s before it was dissolved by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2002.

The Democrats blame Thaksin's decision for the resurgence in violence in the region as the administration centre managed to alleviate local frustrations and violence.

The Democrats said it would issue a new law to provide legal protection in order to prevent the organisation from being dissolved again, Abhisit said.

Bringing back the SBPAC is a part of the party's "people's agenda" launched yesterday, ahead of the election campaign, to win support from local residents in the far South. A vast majority there are Muslim Malays.

Abhisit has proposed three main policies including providing justice, increasing people's political participation, and creating opportunities for development and prosperity.

He insisted that all policies were practical and would be implemented immediately if the Democrats come to power. He said the strategy had to be unified, adding that local officials were already doing a great job.

The current problems were caused by some high-ranking officials, sent by the central government, he said.

"Along with these new policies, we will appoint a minister who will oversee the South and report to the prime minister," he said.

To provide justice, Abhisit said the new government must amend the Emergency Law, as some of its provisions violate basic human rights and give too much power to the prime minister and other authorities.

"Also, the wrong-doers, particularly, those officials who are involved in crimes must be brought to justice in order to gain trust among locals."

In regard to a strategy to increase people's political participation, he said the SBPAC was a mechanism used by a government prior to Thaksin and reviving it would help officials and the people understand one another.

Among several economic development plans, Abhisit said he would set up a council for economic development for the area, a special economic zone in the deep South to promote fisheries and Halal food.

All previous Democrat MPs in the far South were present at the press conference, wearing the bayu batik - the traditional outfit of locals.

The far South has been wracked by a dramatic upsurge in violence since early 2004. More than 1,700 people have been killed in bombings and near-daily murders.

Sopaporn Kurz

The Nation