PM tells youths southern unrest cannot be resolved through politics alone

 

 

BANGKOK, 7 September 2018 (NNT) – Thailand's Prime Minister has remarked to youths from the nation’s far south that his government has no intention of using violence to quell the region’s unrest, noting politics are, however, not the entire solution to the issue but rather development and a peaceful mindset. 

Executives of the Office of the Court of Justice led youths from the three southernmost provinces and four districts of Songkla to meet Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-ocha at Government House yesterday as part of the sixth iteration of the “Young Thais of a Single Heart” program. 

The PM told the youths that the conflict in Thailand's south has been a personal concern of his for the past four years and that he has worked to remedy the situation. He urged the students to adhere to the moral teachings of their religions, saying all religions preach peaceful coexistence and that they should not fall victim to those who would use differences in faith to foment conflict. 

The premier assured the youths that his government does not have a policy of violence in the south and remarked that the unrest cannot be resolved through political means alone, rather it requires development and an adherence to peace as well. 

During a question and answer session, one of the youths asked the PM if he was tired and received the response that, while he was sometimes fatigued by his work, he wished only for encouragement.

 

-- nnt 2018-09-07

Sounds like he is telling them that talking will not work so expect violence from his ex military friends.

13 minutes ago, webfact said:

his government has no intention of using violence

When any politician denies something, it's invariably just the opposite.

 

15 minutes ago, webfact said:

The premier assured the youths

Today's oxymoron.

 

29 minutes ago, webfact said:

it requires development and an adherence to peace

Just a pity, in the Q&A session, the PM wasn't asked:

1. What he meant by 'development' and
2. How his govt was going to persuade the warring factions to 'adhere to peace', and
3. Could he outline, for the benefit of all present, the three major contentious issues in the far south.

I'll bet Prayuth couldn't define one of the issues in words that his audience could understand. And what did this enterprising kid ask him? If he was tired . . . I ask you. If that's the best that an invited audience can ask, it pretty well explains how they were invited.

'A peaceful mindset'.

The one thing the junta leader NEVER EVER has!

55 minutes ago, webfact said:

He urged the students to adhere to the moral teachings of their religions......

And there he stands like some gospel preacher, a picture of piety and compassion, lecturing the youth on love and peace. All the while his soldiers stand ready to crush any civil unrest. 

And at the end all he got was one bright spark student asking him "if he was tired". So sad!

 

18 hours ago, webfact said:

He urged the students to adhere to the moral teachings of their religions

But the good book preaches behead and rape non believers !

19 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand's Prime Minister has remarked to youths from the nation’s far south that his government has no intention of using violence to quell the region’s unrest,

Yes, because you tried that and it failed. 

20 hours ago, webfact said:

“Young Thais of a Single Heart” program

One size fits all ?  My feeling there is that you have Chinese, Thai and Malays.  They are all different.  The Chinese influence is strong.  Chinese is spoke widely in Hat Yai and Padang Besar.  It is obviously very Malay as well.  Asked a Chinese restaurant owner in Padang Besar why he liked living there.  He said the economy was good due to trade with Malaysia.  Found the Malays, as well as, the Thais there quite good people.  When living in Northern Malaysia, I frequented the area.  Loved it.  Malaysians visiting there love it.

 

Perhaps the general and his Thai military mindset just does not understand the area, as it is not 100% Thai. 

2 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

Perhaps the general and his Thai military mindset just does not understand the area, as it is not 100% Thai.

'Understanding' is not one of his strengths, yet whilst he will understand that, to him, wealth and power are nice and that he likes 'the feeling' of living in Government House - almost like a proper prime minister - I'll wager that he is not the happiest of men, for all that he now has at his fingertips.