Bangkok (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Barely a year ago, Waemahadee Waeda-oh, was on trial, charged with being a member of Jemaah Islamiah (JI), a Islamic terrorist network linked to al Qaeda. A few days ago, he was elected senator in Thailand with an overwhelming majority.

On 16 May 2003, Waemahadee and three other Thai Muslims were identified by police as being members of the group of Arifin bin Ali of Singapore, believed to be a JI member. At the time, he was detained in Bangkok and later repatriated.

They were charged with involvement in terrorist attacks, including the 2002 Bali bombs. In June 2005, the court in Bangkok absolved them citing "lack of evidence".

"I used to live in fear and suspicion," Waemahadee, 43, said. "People here are in a similar situation, so they looked for a person who could reflect their frustration."

In one of three Muslim southern provinces – within a Buddhist majority country – Waemahadee won 100,000 votes, three times more than any other candidate in his area. Clashes between Muslim rebels fighting for independence and government troops have plagued the south of the country since 2004. The violence has claimed 1,100 lives among the local population. The rebels frequently launch attacks against soldiers and civilians, while the army has been empowered to take away and imprison anyone suspected of helping the rebels.

"Apparently the government is trying to win people's hearts and minds now, but villagers, whose relatives have been threatened or taken away by officials in the past, are still skeptical," continued the new senator. "My victory shows people wanted a change of policy."

Premier Thaksin Shinawatra had airplanes bombard the area with millions of flyers saying "peace", but he also imposed a special law under which those "suspected" of rebel connections can be detained indefinitely without charge. During the 19 April election itself, the rebels killed two policemen and three civilians, wounding another 30, most of them members of the Thai Rak Thai party of Premier Thaksin.

"In the three Muslim provinces, they vote against the government and vote for whoever isn't Thai Rak Thai," said Bukhoree Yeema of the Rajabhat Institute in Songkhla province.