The separatist leader said the Thai government has wrongly assumed that the leaders of a number of separatist movements, most of whom are living in exile, have no control over the hundreds of militants on the ground.

"We are ready to talk, but the government and the Army are ignoring us ... they want to talk directly to the militants [armed wings and independent cells], but at the same time they are telling us they are unsure who to negotiate with," the leader was quoted by Bernama as saying.

He said a number of separatist leaders were suspicious that the Thai Army was delaying negotiations with them so they can obtain more funding in the 2007 budget. The government has allocated the armed forces Bt115 billion, up by nearly 50 per cent from last year's budget, partly due to the ongoing violence in the restive region.

Thai intelligence officers said most of the violence in the predominantly Malay-speaking South is carried out by village-based cells that operate almost independently from one another and with little contact with the long-standing separatist groups. But it remains unclear as to what kind of influence these traditional groups could have on the militants on the ground.

The separatist leader urged the government to go beyond making public statements to win the hearts and minds of the local Malay-Muslims and added that whatever is promised must be confirmed in writing.

Meanwhile, suspected Muslim militants on Thursday night set ablaze several rooms at Kuruchon Pattana School in Yala's Muang district, according to principal Thitipan Thipprapai.

Schools and teachers have been the target of frequent violent attacks. More than 50 teachers have been killed over the past two years.

In Narathiwat's Chanae district, a rubber tapper, Maseedee Wadeng, 25, was found dead in front of his house, his body riddled with long-range pistol bullets.

Meanwhile, victims of a violent attack on Wednesday were recuperating well, said doctors. One-year-old Rattanapol and his parents are in stable condition, said Dr Wattana Wattanayakorn, director of Yala Hospital. The three were wounded in a drive-by shooting on Wednesday morning.

Two other school students, who were injured by a bomb blast in front of Wiangsuwan Witthayakom School, are also in a stable condition in hospital, said Wattana.

An inspector from the Education Ministry, Prasert Kaewpetch, visited the two students yesterday and gave them Bt10,000 each.