The Pattani United Liberation Organization (PULO); a splinter group is called New PULO.  

The PULO operates in the southern Muslim-dominated provinces of Thailand. The PULO occasionally organizes or seeks refuge in northern Malaysia.

PULO's goal, similar to several other Thai insurgency groups, is to create an independent Muslim state in the five southern provinces of Thailand: Yala, Pattani, Songkhla, Satun and Narathiwat. New PULO has the same overall goal.

PULO is estimated to have perhaps between 100 and 200 fighters.

An important base of support for Bersatu-connected separatists (see separate records) such as PULO is neighboring Malaysia, where insurgents can flee and regroup. Bersatu members share a common culture and religion and family connections that extend across the border. The Malaysian government does not strenuously pursue suspected Bersatu militants on its territory, though it does provide some cooperation on security issues with Thailand and it has handed over captured terrorists to the Thais. Kuala Lumpur has warned Malaysians against supporting Thai insurgents.

In December 2004, it was alleged that the Malaysian Islamic Welfare Organization (PERKIM) had provided US$32,000 to PULO. The Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) is also alleged to have close ties with PULO.

Criminal activities, including racketeering, smuggling of people and guns and narcotics-trafficking provide PULO separatists with funding. Extortion from local businesses is another common financing method. Muslim charitable organizations also support PULO.

Thai authorities believe PULO (and other Bersatu-type groups) have connections with Jemaah Islamiya (JI) and Abu Sayyaf, pointing to arms shipments in 2000 and 2001 as evidence. Links to JI and Al-Qaida have also been discovered. For example, Asian media reported in 2006 that before the arrest of Hambali (aka Riduan Isamuddin), the JI leader responsible for the October 2002 Bali bombings, he made several trips to southern Thailand. While in Bangkok, he met with JI leaders Noordin Mohammad Top and Azhari Husin (in March and April of 2002).

Subsequently, it was reported that New PULO members had trained in Indonesia with JI factions linked to Noordin. Links to Hezbollah have also been suggested. Thai military intelligence suggested that PULO facilitated the attempted 1994 truck bombing of Israel's Bangkok Embassy.

In the past, Iran and Libya provided minimal funding to PULO, though this has likely been discontinued.

Limited resources have curbed the size of PULO's activities. PULO tactics frequently include kidnappings, bombings, arson, drive-by shootings and assassinations. To carry out the January 2004 offensive, PULO likely teamed up with several other Thai separatist groups. PULO operations are purportedly carried out by a separate armed wing known as the Pattani United Liberation Army (PULA), though responsibilities overlap.

New PULO has focused its attacks mainly on police and local government authorities for two reasons: to conserve operational resources, and to maintain Islamic legitimacy by minimizing large numbers of civlian casualties. For example, New PULO will pay young drug addicts to carry out sabotage missions and other simple attacks in attempt to avoid direct terrorist connections.

PULO was founded in India by Pattani aristocrat and Islamic scholar Kabir Abdul Rahman (aka Tungu Bira Kotanila) as a nationalist and separatist group. According to Peter Chalk of RAND, "PULO's ideology is based on the UBANGTAPEKEMA, an acronym derived from Ugama, Bangsa, Tanach, Air, and Perikemanusiaan (Religion, Race/Nationalism, Homeland, and Humanitarianism)."

The group originally aimed to establish an independent Muslim state in southern Thailand, but differing ideologies and counterterrorist operations resulted in a weakened and divided PULO. By the late 1990s, the group was largely ineffectual. At the height of the Thai insurgency in the 1970s, PULO (along with other groups) had perhaps some 1,000 guerrillas. By the 1980s, this number had fallen to 500; by 2000, these separatist groups could count on perhaps 100 fighters.

A "reunification congress" of 40 top leaders, meeting in Damascus, Syria, from April 29 to May 1, 2005, rejuvenated the PULO organization. Leadership was passed to Tungu Bira Kotanila, who heads the group while in exile. Other individuals in leadership positions include PULO's vice president, Razi Bin Hassan, and foreign affairs chief Kasturi Mahkota. Since this meeting and the January 2004 offensive, the group (along with New PULO) has stepped up activities.

Based abroad, PULO leaders have little actual operational control over group members.

Ar-rong Moo-reng and Hayi Abdul Rohman Bazo formed the splinter group New PULO in 1995 -- when the original PULO was largely defunct -- with a greater emphasis on Islam. New PULO is organized geographically, under the lead of a supreme Armed Force Council. This body coordinates and directs three wings: the Sali Ta-loh Bueyor group is responsible for the Narithiwat distrcits of Ja-nae and Sri Sakhon; the Maso Dayeh group has responsibility for Yala's Betong district; and the Ma-ae Tophien group runs operations in all districts throughout Narathiwat and Yala.

Following numerous terrorist attacks from 1997-1998, Kuala Lumpur cooperated more closely with Bangkok, resulting in a significant degradation of PULO and New PULO capabilities due to the arrests of four top leaders. Bazo and his deputy, Hadji Mae Yala, were handed over by Malaysian authorities to Bangkok in 1998. Some 900 militants also agreed to join government rehabilitation programs at this time, promising to participate in peaceful development. Other leaders fled abroad, including Tunku Bilor Kortor Nilor, former PULO leader; Ar-rong Moo-reng, New PULO founder; and deputy Haji Abdul Hadi bin Rozaali .

After the arrests, Saarli Taloh-Meyaw succeeded to the leadership position in New PULO until he was killed by Thai security forces in February 2000. Kamae Yusof may now be the New PULO leader. New PULO members such as Marudee Piya (head of operations in Narathiwat) and Paosee Yi-ngor (a demolitions expert) have trained overseas and are on most-wanted lists in Thailand.

Both PULO and New PULO are relatively inactive nowadays. Other Muslim separatist groups have stepped up violence in southern Thailand.

Dec. 30: A bomb exploded in the Betong district of the Yala province, killing three teenagers and wounding 12 others at a school.

January: Haij Da-oh Thanam, New PULO military commander, was arrested in Malaysia and turned over to Thai authorities. He was sentenced to life in prison for bombings, abductions and murders carried out by New PULO. Also arrested and turned over to Thai authorities were Hayi Abdul Rohman Bazo and his deputy Hadji Mae Yala, as well as a fourth Thai Muslim -- Hayi Sama Ae Thanam, PULO's military leader. Others, fearing capture, fled to the Middle East.

Jan. 5: Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra declared martial law in Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala provinces. Defense Minister Thamarak Isarangura authorized Lt. Gen. Phongsak Aekbansingha to place six districts in Narathiwat, three districts in Yala and four districts in Pattani under martial law.

Nov. 3: Suspected PULO assailants shot and killed two state railway employees in Narathiwat province.

Nov. 3: Gunmen on a motorcycle shot and killed a senior police officer in Yala. PULO was believed responsible.

Nov. 9: A Buddhist school teacher was shot and killed by suspected PULO assailants in Than To.

November: The insurgency death toll reached 1,000 since ramped-up violence began in January 2004.

December: The Malaysian government handed over Manasae Jaeloh (aka Chakarim Useng) to Bangkok. Wanted for bombings and other attacks, he had a US$76,500 bounty on his head.

Dec. 23: Thai Army Chief-of-Staff Montri Sangkhasap said the army would deploy an additional 10 companies of paratroopers to Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Songkhla and Satun in January 2007 and 20 more companies in April to combat the southern insurgency.

July: A previously unknown rebel group, called the United Southern Underground, claimed it had worked out a cease-fire with the Thai government. The group said that it represented other insurgent groups, including PULO. A PULO spokesman called the agreement a hoax.