April 21, 2007	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 03, 1428

PATTANI (Thailand), April 20: Thailand on Friday rejected a US offer of military assistance to help quell an insurgency in the country's Muslim-majority south, saying the unrest was an internal matter.

The United States, a close ally of Thailand, has reportedly offered to help the kingdom rein in the unrest, which has killed more than 2,100 people since January 2004.

“It's not necessary. This is our own internal problem which we have to solve among ourselves,” the kingdom's army-installed Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont told reporters in the insurgency-torn south.

The violence has escalated since Surayud, a former general, took office after a September coup, despite a series of peace efforts, including an apology to Muslims for past abuses.

Surayud was making a one-day trip on Friday to the troubled south in an effort to boost the morale of security officers and see relatives of victims in the unrest.

“This is the problem where all Thais need to cooperate and participate,” Surayud said of the conflict.

His comments also followed a Human Rights Watch report that argued the military-backed government has stepped up its use of militias in a bid to solve the long-running insurgency, putting civilians at greater risk of violence.

Surayud said his government would act forcefully against militants but insisted that it would not employ “any illegal methods” in battling the insurgency.--AFP