Thai National Reconciliation Commission Chairman Anand Panyarachun said Malaysian leaders had assured him that they had never supported separatism or insurgency in southern Thailand, Thai media reported on Sunday.

Anand had separate meetings with Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi and former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad in Kuala Lumpur.

"We had frank and open discussions about the violence in the South. Mahathir assured me that his country had never backed insurgents or the [now defunct] Pattani United Liberation Organization," Anand was quoted by the Nation as saying.

The assurance was, he said, credible inasmuch as no country wished problems on a neighbor involving fighting in its own vicinity.

Malaysian officials told Anand that although the violence in the south had caused misunderstanding between Thailand and Malaysia, the two sides should continue to talk and try to resolve the misunderstanding.

Anand, a former premier, did not say when he had met the Malaysian leaders but said he would inform Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of the details of the discussions.

Meanwhile, Malaysia's foreign minister, whose comments on 131 Thai Muslims who fled to Malaysia drew protest from Bangkok, has suggested the countries hold talks to avoid any further misunderstanding.

"It is best for both sides to keep talking until the issue is resolved," Syed Hamid Albar was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times newspaper.

The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday summoned Malaysian Ambassador Shaarani Ibrahim to protest against Syed Hamid 's comments that Malaysia would only return the 131 Thai Muslims, who reportedly fled violence in Thailand, if Bangkok could guarantee their human rights.

Bangkok said it considered the comments "interference in the internal affairs" of Thailand.

Syed Hamid told the paper that Malaysia had no desire to interfere in Thailand's affairs and "would only react when neighboring countries' affairs affect Malaysia."

He made no direct reference to the 131 asylum-seekers but said he was confident that Thailand would do whatever necessary to protect its people.

"We are sure that the Thai authorities are doing their best to deal with matters within their country," he said. "We will deal with matters within our country."

The group of 131 people crossed into Malaysia in late August, reportedly fearing persecution by Thai security forces fighting insurgency in the restive South.

Source: Xinhua