Relatives of Panpong Sopasri, the Prince of Songkhla University student killed in an explosion in Pattani on Monday, observe a moment of silence at Chiang Mai airport yesterday when they claimed his body. The family called on the government not to show le

Former prime minister Chuan Leekpai yesterday warned the government to be careful about a suggestion to grant amnesty to southern militants.

He said it could create a "moral hazard" and discourage innocent people, as wrongdoers could easily escape punishment.

The government should make it clear exactly who would qualify under the amnesty law. "If the law only applies to people who did not commit a crime under the Penal Code as proposed, then I don't think we even need such an amnesty," he said.

"But if the amnesty allows wrongdoers to get off the hook it would discourage people - notably Buddhist minorities in the region - as they might feel less confidence in the justice system," he told The Nation in an exclusive interview.

Chuan, the chief advisor to the Democrat Party, said the Buddhist population in the predominantly Muslim region live in "constant fear" and are disappointed with authorities in containing the violence.

The relocation of the Buddhists is the "militants' ultimate goal", he said and noted that many Buddhists had already left the region without telling the authorities.

Internal migration was also evident as a number of students from the southernmost province had increased sharply in Hat Yai, while some had bought land in Trang, Chuan's home province. But such a problem "was beyond the authorities' acknowledgement", he said.

Chuan was the first person to caution the government about amnesty since Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont floated the idea last month.

The proposal was announced again on Tuesday during the visit of the Organisation of Islamic Conference secretary general Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, who welcomed and praised the idea as a "good gesture for peace" in the deep South.

Army Chief Sonthi Boonyaratglin, Interior Minister Aree Wongse-araya and Southern Border Administrative Centre chief Pranai Suwannarat supported for the idea.

However, the amnesty might not come into force soon as the government had not yet made the draft available for the consideration of the National Legislative Assembly.

Chuan said he had sent separate suggestions to Prime Minister Surayud and Sonthi to allocate more funds for the "abandoned provinces" in the deep South but they had declined his suggestion.

Chronic violence has continued for a long time due to historical and identity differences, but proper treatment could ease tensions and make people live peacefully, Chuan said.

Two periods in modern history had been badly mishandled, he noted.

The first was the "nationalist era" during Field Marshall Pibul's rule in the late 1950s, and the second was during Thaksin Shinawatra's administration that ordered harsh action against Muslims and also abolished useful administrative mechanisms.

Thaksin miscalculated the situation as he failed to take historical factors into account and treated the militants as normal criminals.

"The search and destroy approach did not really work," he said.

Meanwhile, fresh violence erupted yesterday in Yala's Yaha district as three rangers were injured by a roadside bomb while on patrol.

Political Desk

 The Nation