"Doing so will help solve the problem more quickly," said Sawas.

BANGKOK — Thailand's top Muslim scholar commanded on Thursday, November, a reconciliation drive championed by the new military-back government in the Muslim-majority south, including a decision to scrap security blacklist of Muslims.

"Doing so will help solve the problem more quickly," Sawas Sumalayasak, whose official title is Chularajmontri (Sheikh-ul-Islam) in Thailand, was quoted as saying by the Thai News Agency (TNA).

Premier Surayud Chulanont ordered the army Wednesday, November 8, to tear up blacklists with the names of more than 6,000 students and teachers at Thammawithya Foundation School, Yala's biggest Islamic school.

"No more blacklists," Surayud told a cheering crowd at the school during a visit Wednesday, his second to the Muslim province in less than a week.

"I have asked the authorities to tear them up and burn them."

The Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission insisted the lists created fear and suspicion in the Muslim-majority south, and accused security forces of detaining and torturing people who were on them.

Sawas was optimistic the government and the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC) will be able to resolve the unrest in the south.

SBPAC reopened on November 1 four years after it was shut down by ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, and the government appointed Nonthaburi governor Phranai Suwannarat as its head.

"I'm confident that both Gen. Surayud and Mr. Phranai will be able to solve the problem through reconcilable means as pledged," said the official leader of Thai Muslims, who make up five percent of the predominantly Buddhist kingdom's population.

Marking a departure from the hardline stance of his predecessor, Surayud has apologized to Muslims for years of abuse and ignorance.

The government appointed on November 2 the first ever Muslim governor of Yala, which together with Pattani and Narathiwat were an independent Muslim sultanate until annexed officially a century ago.

Back to Normal

The junta will lift a ban on political gatherings and the martial law.

The south developments came while life across the country was largely returning to normal two months after a bloodless coup.

The junta-appointed 242-member National Legislative Assembly on Thursday backed a government proposal to lift a ban on political gatherings of more than five people, imposed after the September 19 coup.

"The ban has obstructed people's ability to participate in political activities," Deputy Interior Minister Banyat Jansena told reporters.

"Now the government is giving them the chance to gather for political reasons."

The proposal will now go to King Bhumibol Adulyadej for approval. Once signed, it will take effect within a week, he added.

Following the overthrow of Thaksin, the military imposed martial law, scrapped planned elections and banned political gatherings.

Trade unions, student activists and shop owners have defied the ban and held demonstrations with minimal police presence and no retaliation.

Defense Minister Boonrawd Somtas also announced Thursday that the martial law would be lifted soon.

"It is likely to be lifted because the prime minister will leave for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Vietnam during the 18th and 19th of November," he said. "The lifting will be in order to make our allies more comfortable."

The APEC summit will be held in Hanoi on November 18 with the participation of US President George Bush and Japanese Premier Shinzo Abe.

Boonrawd said the junta leader would make a final decision on lifting martial law before next Tuesday.

The law, like the ban on political gatherings, has not been enforced in any visible way.