New Pulo leader appointed

The Pattani United Liberation Organisation (Pulo) has recently announced the appointment of a new leader, Mr Kasturi Mahkota, but the Thai security authorities are indifferent to the new appointment claiming that the decades-old separatist movement has no control of the new breed of Islamic insurgents who have been waging a terror campaign in the deep South.

          In a statement issued in Pulo’s website on October 27, the separatist organization said that due to unforeseen circumstances and to be able to execute its affairs more effectively and efficiently, especially in the wake of new challenges for the struggle for self-determination, the central committee, by majority votes, decided to name Mr Kasturi Mahkota the new president of the organization.

          Mr Mahkota was vice president and spokesman of Pulo for several years and, in the past several months, he has been in media spotlight for his role in peace dialogue with the Thai government.  But the government has denied there was such a talk with the separatist movement.

          The Pulo statement did not mention Mr Noor Abdulrahman, the man whom Mr Mahkota has replaced.  Mr Noor took over the presidency after Pulo founder and president, Tunkubeeror Kortorneelor died of old age in Damascus, Syria, three years ago.

          In June 2010, Mr Mahkota announced the unilateral ceasefire of the so-called Malayu Pattani Liberation Movement (PMLM) activities in Narathiwat’s Ra-ngae, Yee-ngo and Cho-I-Rong districts from June 10 to July 10 purportedly to pave way for a peace talk with the Thai government.  However, his announcement was shunned by Thai security officials in the deep South who believe that the little known movement has no influence over insurgents in the region.

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Caption : Mr Kasturi Mahkota