SUNGAI GOLOK (Southern Thailand): The two Malay- sians detained by Thai authorities here on Saturday have been confirmed to be members of a militant separatist movement.

The two, aged 18 and 22, were being held at an army camp in Pattani.

They would be there at least for a month to be questioned on their involvement with the group.

Sungai Golok police chief Col Prabpal Meemongkol said the 22-year old was a final-year mechanical engineering student at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia while the other youth was a school dropout.

It is believed the student was originally from Malacca and the 18-year-old was brought up in Selangor but moved to Kelantan two years ago with his family after his father died.
Prabpal said the two, believed to be members of separatist group Ronda Kumpulan Kecil, have confessed that they received their initial training in Aceh.

"We believe they were among hundreds of the group's members who had undergone training in stages since 2004 and returned to create trouble in the southern part of the country," he said here yesterday.

Prabpal said earlier doubts about their nationality had been cleared after Malaysian police confirmed they were Malaysians.

"Thai authorities suspected there were other Malaysians involved with the group but they fled home after the arrest of the two."

He said police also detained two other Malaysians for similar involvement, but refused to elaborate.

Earlier, Prabpal handed over four stolen Malaysian cars to Kelantan police chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi at the police station.

Present were Kelantan deputy police chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Amir Hamzah Ibrahim and State CID chief Assistant Commisioner Mazlan Lazim.

The cars -- three Perodua Kancil and a Kenari -- were reported stolen in Kelantan last year and smuggled to Thailand.

"Malaysian cars, especially Proton and Perodua, are in demand not only here but also in Narathiwat, Bangkok and Cambodia."