Abhisit accepts Chalerm's invitation to help resolve South crisis
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Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung yesterday asked for the Opposition's participation in tackling the insurgency problem in the deep South, an invitation that was accepted by Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva.
Chalerm, responding to an Opposition MP’s query during yesterday’s meeting of the House of Representatives, said he wanted to ask for cooperation from the Democrat Party, whose MPs represent most of the South, to help with mapping out plans to solve the problem.
The veteran politician said he believed Democrat MPs possessed comprehensive information about the deep South that was comparable to that obtained by state officials. Chalerm said he would tell Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra about his idea of setting up a “backroom headquarters” that includes Opposition politicians.
Abhisit, who is also the Democrat leader, said that he was pleased to help with the problem in the restive southern border region on condition that no MPs from the ruling Pheu Thai Party petition the Constitutional Court against him for interfering in government affairs.
Democrat MP Prasert Pongsuwansiri from Yala, which along with Songkhla was hit by multiple car bombs last Saturday, raised a query intended for the prime minister during yesterday’s House meeting. He called on the government to compensate the victims, provide low-interest loans and tax exemptions, and increase safety measures, among other steps.
Deputy Prime Minister General Yuthasak Sasiprapha, responding to the query on the prime minister’s behalf, blamed cancellation of a “safety zone” in Yala’s business district, at the request of local residents and businesses, for the bomb attack.
He noted that four suspects have been arrested in connection with the attacks.
Prasert said locals did not ask for any cancellation, but had called for a review of the tough safety measures.
The MP also urged the government to explain news reports that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra recently visited Malaysia to meet leading insurgents living in that country. He said a failure of the talks led to the attacks on March 31.
Chalerm denied that Thaksin had been involved in any negotiations with insurgency leaders. However, Prasert said that a website run by the insurgent group Patani United Liberation Organisation (Pulo) posted a photo of Thaksin embracing a Pulo leader. Chalerm questioned the news report on the Pulo website.
Abhisit said yesterday that, in fact, news of Thaksin being involved in talks with insurgency leaders came from many sources, and not just from Pulo’s website.
He called on the prime minister to get involved in efforts to solve the insurgency problem, starting with attending House meetings more often.
