November 13, 2009: Local leaders in the south are eager to have more autonomy and more investment to raise the standard of living. But this means the locals will have to be more involved, and more at risk, in fighting the Islamic terrorists in the area. The government does not believe an amnesty will break the back of the Islamic terror movement down south. The key terrorists must be caught or killed.

Cambodia and Thailand have recalled their ambassadors, and Cambodia has refused to honor an extradition request, for former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is now a government advisor in Cambodia. All the new stress is over Shinawatra, and Thai refusal to settle the border dispute with Cambodia.

In Cambodia, a Cambodian air traffic control employee was arrested and charged with spying for Thailand (which wanted information on when Thaksin Shinawatra would be flying, and from where.)

November 10, 2009: In the south, a terrorist bomb left one dead and three wounded.

November 8, 2009: In the south, Islamic terrorists killed two and wounded another with gunfire.

October 30, 2009: Former Thailand prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been appointed an advisor to the Cambodian government. This is meant to stick it to the Thai government for not making any effort to deal with a long simmering border dispute. Thai and Cambodian troops still face each other on a disputed section of their border, near an ancient temple, in a dispute that has been going on since mid-2008. It's also been three years since the royalist coup that overthrew populist Thaksin Shinawatra. Since then, his red shirted supporters have been increasingly active with demonstrations. The royalists and urban elites have long had their way, despite the wishes of the majority. Even with a democracy, the royalists are determined to do what they want. But that is no longer working, and the royalists have to deal with finally losing ancient powers.