Pulo prisoner turns peacemaker

Pulo prisoner turns peacemaker

Former Pulo militant Sama-ae Thanam says promoting halal food production and job creation for local people will be among his goals now that he is out of prison. (Photo by Abdulloh Benjakat)
Former Pulo militant Sama-ae Thanam says promoting halal food production and job creation for local people will be among his goals now that he is out of prison. (Photo by Abdulloh Benjakat)

A former key figure in the Pattani United Liberation Organisation (Pulo) has pledged to help tackle the chronic southern unrest and work to develop the border provinces economically.

Sama-ae Thanam, 63, who was released from the Central Yala Prison on Friday, thanked Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, the government, the Fourth Army commander and the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC) for his release.

He was paroled after serving nearly 18 years of a 27-year sentence for terrorist offences.

The atmosphere at the former militant's home in Panare district of Pattani was lively on Saturday, with local leaders and residents thronging to greet him.

Sama-ae said he would play a coordinating role in talks with other militant groups, and would try to create a better understanding among those groups in order to restore peace in the region where nearly 6,000 people have met violent deaths in the past decade.

He said he was determined to help improve the quality of life of residents in Panare district, where SPBAC secretary-general Panu Uthairat has asked him to oversee a halal industrial estate in tambon Nam Bor.

"I will work at my fullest capacity," he said. "I will invite business operators from Malaysia to help invest in the industrial estate in a bid to generate income and create jobs for local residents."

Sama-ae, a former head of the Pulo armed wing known among other militants as Ismael Gaddafi, was sentenced to life imprisonment for separatist activities in connection with violence in 1997.

His sentence was later commuted to 27 years and nine months in jail due to good behaviour. While in prison, he cooperated with authorities by advising on ways to deal with the unrest.

Sama-ae Thanam, 63, (second from right) is flanked by relatives and friends at his house in Panarae district of Pattani on Saturday. (Photo by Abdulloh Benjakat)

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