bingobongo Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 this junta has no intention of stepping down and only a matter of time before more bombings come to bangkok...... High risk of civil war in southern Thailand "Meanwhile the ruling military junta seems to be more interested in consolidating its power in Bangkok than in finding a solution." http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&...8547&size=A Interesting site. I didn't know the Pope ran a news service but anyway, Catholic bias aside in this Buddhist/Muslim issue... Does your quote reflect the reality here? It seems that by reading any number of local articles the government is VERY much concerned in finding a solution to the ongoing problems in the South and have been focusing tremendously on that. Multiple reports in this very thread point to that. Secondly, what leads you to your initial statement that the government doesn't plan to relinquish control according to its stated timelines? to answer your first question (with a question), since when is the thai media unbiased? last time i checked the TV stations could be construed as state run and being monitored (aka Thaksin interview blocked out) and the lastest count was 13,500 web sites were blocked due to any anti-coup sentiment (up from 2,500 when coup first occured) THAILAND: BLOCKED WEBSITES JUMP BY 500 PERCENT SINCE MILITARY COUP http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level_English....2245491&par= second question, why would the junta consolidate power if the elections are supposedly in Oct? Junta may not be in the front line but they will remain behind the scenes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bingobongo Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 this junta has no intention of stepping down and only a matter of time before more bombings come to bangkok...... High risk of civil war in southern Thailand "Meanwhile the ruling military junta seems to be more interested in consolidating its power in Bangkok than in finding a solution." http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&...8547&size=A Interesting site. I didn't know the Pope ran a news service but anyway, Catholic bias aside in this Buddhist/Muslim issue... Does your quote reflect the reality here? It seems that by reading any number of local articles the government is VERY much concerned in finding a solution to the ongoing problems in the South and have been focusing tremendously on that. Multiple reports in this very thread point to that. Secondly, what leads you to your initial statement that the government doesn't plan to relinquish control according to its stated timelines? to answer your first question (with a question), since when is the thai media unbiased? last time i checked the TV stations could be construed as state run and being monitored (aka Thaksin interview blocked out) and the lastest count was 13,500 web sites were blocked due to any anti-coup sentiment (up from 2,500 when coup first occured) THAILAND: BLOCKED WEBSITES JUMP BY 500 PERCENT SINCE MILITARY COUP http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level_English....2245491&par= Junta accused of exploiting news media http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/02/19...cs_30027228.php second question, why would the junta consolidate power if the elections are supposedly in Oct? Junta may not be in the front line but they will remain behind the scenes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sriracha john Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 (edited) The more I read about your news source.... the more interesting it gets From their website: Help AsiaNews Dear Friends, Thanks to AsiaNews, we can help in giving more freedom to bishops in China, guaranteeing support to churches in Iraq, Indonesia and Malaysia, building true brotherhood in Asia and the world. AsiaNews is a great accomplishment in evangelization, which is the work of God, but it is also your accomplishment. We are not ashamed to say so: without your economic help and without your prayers, we cannot go on. We do not want to "sell" our information, but disseminate it. So that we can do this, we ask you to help us with a donation, which can be made by bank transfer or through an Italian postal account payment. - by bank transfer: AsiaNews - Account no. 6152510434/77 c/o Banca Intesa - Branch 499 Address: Via G. Carini 32/D, Rome, Italy ---------------------------------- Being able to offer AsiaNews articles in English allows us to communicate with major English and American news publications, in addition to churches in America and Africa. Above all, it permits us to communicate with the churches in Asia which use English as an international communications tool. In this sense, AsiaNews articles on Asian ecclesial communities allows these very churches to share and know the fate and mission of their sister communities on the continent. Thus, information becomes a means of communion for them. ----------------------------------- Since university students have Internet access, we think that AsiaNews will help them to be familiar with the impact Christianity has on Asian and Chinese society. Already many Chinese intellectuals think China can be saved by Christianity, so as not to explode into a soulless market or a dictatorship that humiliates the individual. ======================================================================= so reading their news is like taking communion.... praise the Lord and give me another article to read then Hallelujah *edit.... sorry if I don't remit any cash to the Vatican this month... I'm a little short... Edited February 21, 2007 by sriracha john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bingobongo Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 (edited) The more I read about your news source.... the more interesting it getsFrom their website: Help AsiaNews Dear Friends, Thanks to AsiaNews, we can help in giving more freedom to bishops in China, guaranteeing support to churches in Iraq, Indonesia and Malaysia, building true brotherhood in Asia and the world. AsiaNews is a great accomplishment in evangelization, which is the work of God, but it is also your accomplishment. We are not ashamed to say so: without your economic help and without your prayers, we cannot go on. We do not want to "sell" our information, but disseminate it. So that we can do this, we ask you to help us with a donation, which can be made by bank transfer or through an Italian postal account payment. - by bank transfer: AsiaNews - Account no. 6152510434/77 c/o Banca Intesa - Branch 499 Address: Via G. Carini 32/D, Rome, Italy ---------------------------------- Being able to offer AsiaNews articles in English allows us to communicate with major English and American news publications, in addition to churches in America and Africa. Above all, it permits us to communicate with the churches in Asia which use English as an international communications tool. In this sense, AsiaNews articles on Asian ecclesial communities allows these very churches to share and know the fate and mission of their sister communities on the continent. Thus, information becomes a means of communion for them. ----------------------------------- Since university students have Internet access, we think that AsiaNews will help them to be familiar with the impact Christianity has on Asian and Chinese society. Already many Chinese intellectuals think China can be saved by Christianity, so as not to explode into a soulless market or a dictatorship that humiliates the individual. ======================================================================= so reading their news is like taking communion.... praise the Lord and give me another article to read then Hallelujah nice misdirections, dont address the problems in thailand with junta, censorship, bombings, and junta....keep your head in the sand your right, thailand can do no wrong, my apologizes, good luck in October Edited February 21, 2007 by bingobongo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sriracha john Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Answering questions with questions and then you say "I" misdirect? I'd just chose not to put to much weight in their half-truths about how the government is not concerned about the South. I realize, though, that to them ... the God-less Thais aren't dissimilar from the soul-less Chinese. Censorship? Thaksin and his Cybercop Program wrote the book on that. Bombings? Thaksin had 1,800 killings in the South. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jai Dee Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 Malaysian link to Thai bombings Forensic experts investigating a co-ordinated series of bombings in Thailand at the weekend say the devices contained explosives from neighbouring Malaysia. Police say chemical tests on defused bombs showed they contained an explosive compound sold in Malaysia under the name Emulex. Police officials say 90 sticks of the same explosive were found in a rubber plantation in Thailand's Narathiwat province last year. AFP reports that if a Malaysian link to the bombings is confirmed, it may encourage Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur to cooperate in resolving southern Thailand's separatist insurgency. Three Muslims have been arrested in connection with the weekend attacks which claimed eight lives, but security analysts believe up to 200 people may have been involved. Source: Radio Australia News - 22 February 2007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jai Dee Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 Than Phu Ying Viriya recounts the insurgent ambush incident Than Phu Ying (ท่านผู้หญิง) Viriya revealed her feelings during the perilous moments of an insurgent ambush on her convoy, while affirming that she would continue to work to improve the quality of life of southern residents. Than Phu Ying (ท่านผู้หญิง) Viriya Chawakul (วิริยา ชวกุล), the Chairperson of the Charity to Boost Morale of Southern Peacekeeping Forces under the Patronage of Her Majesty the Queen, conveyed her feelings after insurgents ambushed her convoy in Krong Penang (กรงปินัง) district of Yala province. Than Phu Ying Viriya revealed that insurgents seemed to be aiming for her when they opened fire at her convoy with 11 mm handguns and M-16 assault rifles. Several bullets hit her vehicle as it sped away, but she sustained no injuries during the incident. The Chairperson expressed her grief at the incident, but affirmed that she was in no way fearful of insurgent activities and would continue to work even harder at improving the quality of life of southern residents. Than Phu Ying Viriya said that her visit to the southern border provinces allowed her to meet with local peacekeeping forces and local residents who suffered much hardship. The Chairperson remains puzzled over why insurgents targeted her for assassination and expressed sympathy for residents who lived amidst such violence. She asked that insurgents cease hostile activities and leave innocent residents alone. Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 22 Febuary 2007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jai Dee Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 RTP chief conducts urgent visit to Yala following insurgent attack on Than Phu Ying Viriya The Interim Royal Thai Police Commissioner General is conducting an urgent visit to the southern border provinces following an attempted assassination of the Than Phu Ying Viriya. Interim Royal Thai Police Commissioner General, Pol Gen Sereepisuth Themeyawes (เสรีพิศุทธิ์ เตมียาเวส), traveled to Yala province to visit Than Phu Ying Viriya Chawakul (วิริยา ชวกุล), the Chairperson of the Charity to Boost Morale of Southern Peacekeeping Forces under the Patronage of Her Majesty the Queen. Pol Gen Sereepisuth reported that Than Phu Ying Viriya was the recent target of an insurgent ambush in Krong Penang (กรงปินัง) district of Yala province on February 21. The commissioner general also visited Police Senior Sergeant Major Thor-hat Watsakul ( ตอหาด วาดสกุล), an officer of the Yala special force police unit, who sustained injuries from the incident. Pol Gen Sereepisuth affirmed that he would personally conduct an investigation of the crime scene. He added that a meeting would be held at the Royal Thai Police Forward Operations Center in Yala province to deliver operational policy to commanders in the 4 southern border provinces. Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 22 Febuary 2007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jai Dee Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 Politicians accused of masterminding bomb attacks on February 18 The standing committee investigating and studying unrest in the Southern border provinces indicated that bomb blasts on February 18 were masterminded by politicians. President of the standing committee, Gen.Panthep Puvanartnurak (ปานเทพ ภูวนารถนุรักษ์) said that he had been reported by local residents who have contact with accomplices of the bombing that the situation in the three Southern border provinces has a tendency to escalate. According to the authority’s moles, there are two groups of insurgents behind the bombing, namely the old ideological group and the group of people hired by local politicians. Drugs have been used an incentive to recruit people for the latter group. Gen.Panthep added that the operational site of the latter group is in Yala Province and it has carried out violent incidents to discredit both the government and the Council for National Security (CNS). As for investigation of the bomb case, Pol.Gen.Thawee Sodsong (ทวี สอดส่อง), the deputy-director general of the Department of Special Investigation, has been invited by the standing committee to report progress of the investigation. Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 22 Febuary 2007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jai Dee Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 Interior Minister says insurgents may not have direct target but only want to create unrest Interior Minister Aree Wongaraya said the insurgents’ attempt to attack Lady Viriya Chavakul and her entourage in Yala province yesterday (Feb 21) was ill-equipped and did not direct towards anyone in particular. Mr. would like officials and people to be more careful when travelling in the South as the insurgents may have no specified target but only want to create social disorder as usual. He said the visit should not be organized boisterously as the ill-intentioned people are looking for an opportunity to disrupt the public. However, there will be no prohibition for important figures to travel to the South, but they have to take extra precaution. He is confident that the southern unrest will not discourage people who would like to visit the South to help and support the local people. As for the warning of a possible terrorist act in Bangkok on January 23rd, the Interior Minister said all sides are keeping a close watch on the situation at all times. Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 22 Febuary 2007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColPyat Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 The Chairperson remains puzzled over why insurgents targeted her for assassination and expressed sympathy for residents who lived amidst such violence. She asked that insurgents cease hostile activities and leave innocent residents alone. Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 22 Febuary 2007 Maybe it is about her support for military, police, and volonteer groups that made her a target... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jai Dee Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 Southern army chief decide on curfew in deep South: defence minister Defence Minister Boonrawd Somtas said Thursday that he would leave it to the southern army chief to decide whether to impose curfew in the southern border provinces. Fourth Army Area Commander Lt Gen Wiroj Buacharoon will make the decision in his capacity as the head of the Internal Security Operations Command Region 4, Boonrawd said. Source: The Nation - 22 February 2007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plus Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 We don't know if the attackers knew who was in the convoy and if they targeted that particular van. The worst part is that general Thais are not going to like it, there will be more calls for blood and revenge. I've already heard some people saying things like "kill them all", not for the first time, though - people were really pissed off after Tangyonlimo incindent (toruting captured soldiers to death). further myth is that Dresden was a purely civilian target.In fact its railway marshalling yards were large and it had a conglomeration of war industries-particularly in the optics, electronics and communications fields. By that logic NY's World Trade Center is also a legitimate target. I don't want to argue pro or agaisnt it, I just want to say that there's no clear consensus on state terrorism/collateral damage/legitimate target issues, and guess which side the insurgents would take? To answer Siripon's question about possible solutions - they are all ok but they won't stop the die-hard insurgents. There should be some sort of divide and conquer tactic - die-hards have to be seen by their fellow muslims as a clear minority fighting for the lost cause. Also catching them would help, I don't understand why the police/army appear so incompetent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
younghusband Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 We don't know if the attackers knew who was in the convoy and if they targeted that particular van. The worst part is that general Thais are not going to like it, there will be more calls for blood and revenge. I've already heard some people saying things like "kill them all", not for the first time, though - people were really pissed off after Tangyonlimo incindent (toruting captured soldiers to death).further myth is that Dresden was a purely civilian target.In fact its railway marshalling yards were large and it had a conglomeration of war industries-particularly in the optics, electronics and communications fields. By that logic NY's World Trade Center is also a legitimate target. I don't want to argue pro or agaisnt it, I just want to say that there's no clear consensus on state terrorism/collateral damage/legitimate target issues, and guess which side the insurgents would take? To answer Siripon's question about possible solutions - they are all ok but they won't stop the die-hard insurgents. There should be some sort of divide and conquer tactic - die-hards have to be seen by their fellow muslims as a clear minority fighting for the lost cause. Also catching them would help, I don't understand why the police/army appear so incompetent. I don't want to prolong the discussion on Dresden, but to compare its bombing with the attack on the World Trade Center is an extraordinary statement if you are suggesting there is some kind of moral equivalency.I accept however that the question of legitimate targets is a highly subjective area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John K Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 The Chairperson remains puzzled over why insurgents targeted her for assassination and expressed sympathy for residents who lived amidst such violence. She asked that insurgents cease hostile activities and leave innocent residents alone. Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 22 Febuary 2007 Maybe it is about her support for military, police, and volonteer groups that made her a target... No, It was just a statement target. Take you pick what statement, just go back through the thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColPyat Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 The Chairperson remains puzzled over why insurgents targeted her for assassination and expressed sympathy for residents who lived amidst such violence. She asked that insurgents cease hostile activities and leave innocent residents alone. Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 22 Febuary 2007 Maybe it is about her support for military, police, and volonteer groups that made her a target... No, It was just a statement target. Take you pick what statement, just go back through the thread. Yes, and she was down south to boost morale of military, police and volonteer organisations. Therefore it was a statement about her activities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John K Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 The Chairperson remains puzzled over why insurgents targeted her for assassination and expressed sympathy for residents who lived amidst such violence. She asked that insurgents cease hostile activities and leave innocent residents alone. Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 22 Febuary 2007 Maybe it is about her support for military, police, and volonteer groups that made her a target... No, It was just a statement target. Take you pick what statement, just go back through the thread. Yes, and she was down south to boost morale of military, police and volonteer organisations. Therefore it was a statement about her activities. Like I said animals, volunteers are humanitarian organizations. Just more reasons to support the theory there has been some sort of branch in our evolution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColPyat Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 Like I said animals, volunteers are humanitarian organizations. Just more reasons to support the theory there has been some sort of branch in our evolution. No, not those sort of volonteers. The other sort, the ones with guns. Learn about Thailand before you post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaze Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 The Chairperson remains puzzled over why insurgents targeted her for assassination and expressed sympathy for residents who lived amidst such violence. She asked that insurgents cease hostile activities and leave innocent residents alone. Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 22 Febuary 2007 Maybe it is about her support for military, police, and volonteer groups that made her a target... No, It was just a statement target. Take you pick what statement, just go back through the thread. Yes, and she was down south to boost morale of military, police and volonteer organisations. Therefore it was a statement about her activities. Like I said animals, volunteers are humanitarian organizations. Just more reasons to support the theory there has been some sort of branch in our evolution. What do you call the people who murdered the defenseless Takbai protesters John? How about the people who conducted the slaughter in the Kreu Se Mosque? And what position does their organization currently hold in the LOS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bingobongo Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 sriracha john and cdnvic, here is another article for you to focus on the author and not content, dont hate the player, hate the game......any vatican influence to help dissuade you of reality? tick tick tick, its coming to bangkok Waziristanisation Of Sourthern Thailand The ground situation resembles partly that in the the Waziristan area of the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan and partly that in Bangladesh. There are no similarities with the ground situation in the rest of South-East Asia. http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodna...raman&sid=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John K Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 The Chairperson remains puzzled over why insurgents targeted her for assassination and expressed sympathy for residents who lived amidst such violence. She asked that insurgents cease hostile activities and leave innocent residents alone. Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 22 Febuary 2007 Maybe it is about her support for military, police, and volonteer groups that made her a target... No, It was just a statement target. Take you pick what statement, just go back through the thread. Yes, and she was down south to boost morale of military, police and volonteer organisations. Therefore it was a statement about her activities. Like I said animals, volunteers are humanitarian organizations. Just more reasons to support the theory there has been some sort of branch in our evolution. What do you call the people who murdered the defenseless Takbai protesters John? How about the people who conducted the slaughter in the Kreu Se Mosque? And what position does their organization currently hold in the LOS? OK bear with me a moment here. First off I am not making it a daily practice to follow the unrest in the south, so I don’t know all the names of the players. I get tired of hearing about the news involving these animals from around the globe. I swear in Iraq the journalist job is easy from sitting at a PC point of view. All they do is change the number killed, the place and the date, the rest of the story is the same. “Than Phu Ying Viriya Chawakul, the Chairperson of the Charity to Boost Morale of Southern Peacekeeping Forces under the Patronage of Her Majesty the Queen” “and would continue to work even harder at improving the quality of life of southern residents. Than Phu Ying Viriya said that her visit to the southern border provinces allowed her to meet with local peacekeeping forces and local residents who suffered much hardship.” reading the above quotes and going in the same direction of thought, any volunteer group endorsed by a member of the royal family would need to fit their line of thinking and humanitarian groups are quite possibly the middle of the pack. Please try not to confuse the intent of the group endorsed by a member of the royal family. You know as well as I what types they would be and not be. I will be away for a few days so replies will be late in coming if any are needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johpa Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 Waziristanisation Of Sourthern Thailand The ground situation resembles partly that in the the Waziristan area of the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan and partly that in Bangladesh. There are no similarities with the ground situation in the rest of South-East Asia. http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodna...raman&sid=1 There is little similarity between the Waziristan region and southern Thailand. Waziristan is an area that is outside the modern world, with little modern infrastructure, and an area in which the regional governments have rarely had effective control. The conflict in the Waziristan region is between competeing Islamic ideologies. Southern Thailand is not completely outside of government control and there is some modern infrastructure present. The conflict is between an irredentist Islamic group and the existing Buddhist nation-state. There are really only two options as in the current state of world affairs, there will be no turning back the clock and returning the four provinces back to Malaysia. Either some moderate southerners will unilaterally enagage in talks with the Thai government to perhaps create a semi-autonomous region that still answers to Bangkok and the Palace or at some point the Thai nation state will act against the separatists with extreme prejudice and collateral damage be damned, not a pretty picture, but an option far more open to the Thai government than any governments surrounding the Waziristan region. It would become a tradgedy if the moderates down south are not able to control the radical Wahabi influenced elements who fail to make such distinctions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
younghusband Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 The Chairperson remains puzzled over why insurgents targeted her for assassination and expressed sympathy for residents who lived amidst such violence. She asked that insurgents cease hostile activities and leave innocent residents alone. Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 22 Febuary 2007 Maybe it is about her support for military, police, and volonteer groups that made her a target... No, It was just a statement target. Take you pick what statement, just go back through the thread. Yes, and she was down south to boost morale of military, police and volonteer organisations. Therefore it was a statement about her activities. Like I said animals, volunteers are humanitarian organizations. Just more reasons to support the theory there has been some sort of branch in our evolution. What do you call the people who murdered the defenseless Takbai protesters John? How about the people who conducted the slaughter in the Kreu Se Mosque? And what position does their organization currently hold in the LOS? OK bear with me a moment here. First off I am not making it a daily practice to follow the unrest in the south, so I don’t know all the names of the players. I get tired of hearing about the news involving these animals from around the globe. I swear in Iraq the journalist job is easy from sitting at a PC point of view. All they do is change the number killed, the place and the date, the rest of the story is the same. “Than Phu Ying Viriya Chawakul, the Chairperson of the Charity to Boost Morale of Southern Peacekeeping Forces under the Patronage of Her Majesty the Queen” “and would continue to work even harder at improving the quality of life of southern residents. Than Phu Ying Viriya said that her visit to the southern border provinces allowed her to meet with local peacekeeping forces and local residents who suffered much hardship.” reading the above quotes and going in the same direction of thought, any volunteer group endorsed by a member of the royal family would need to fit their line of thinking and humanitarian groups are quite possibly the middle of the pack. Please try not to confuse the intent of the group endorsed by a member of the royal family. You know as well as I what types they would be and not be. I will be away for a few days so replies will be late in coming if any are needed. , In your absence (don't hurry back) perhaps a summary of the position would be helpful.Despite your multiple posting addiction, you cannot be bothered to find the time to do even basic research on the matters you comment on.By this I don't mean detailed study of primary and secondary sources, but simply reading the relevant articles in the English language press. If you seriously believe that all royally endorsed volunteer groups in Thailand over the last few decades have been imbued with the ideals of the Red Cross,Gandhi and Mother Theresa, then dream on in your ignorance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plus Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 It would become a tradgedy if the moderates down south are not able to control the radical Wahabi influenced elements who fail to make such distinctions. Is there any evidence that Wahabi actually penetrated local muslim community? AFAIK, Thai muslims profess their own brand of islam and are quite protective about it. I believe they are home grown extremists with local chips on their shoulders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johpa Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 It would become a tradgedy if the moderates down south are not able to control the radical Wahabi influenced elements who fail to make such distinctions. Is there any evidence that Wahabi actually penetrated local muslim community? AFAIK, Thai muslims profess their own brand of islam and are quite protective about it. I believe they are home grown extremists with local chips on their shoulders. If you do a Google search on "Wahabi southeast Asia" you will find many articles that connect Wahabism, or also known as Salafism, to Southeast Asia as well as to South Asia. It is undertsood that this was part of the quid pro quo; the fundamentalists in Saud received petrol dollars to fund fundmentalist oriented schools, madrasas, in other countries in exchange for supporting the Saudi monarchy. It is true that historically, Muslims in Southeast Asia tended to maintain a less fundamentalist approach to Islam, almost a syncretic approach, or at least a more laid back approachto Islam. But it is also true that over the past generation, many religious schools in the region, supported by Arab petro-dollars, have been teaching, and providing scholarships to study abroad, the fundamentalist version of Islam as practiced by the Arab hillbilly clans that inhabit the Saudi peninsula, the region long considered by many Muslims to be the most backward region of Islam. Although the region was the birthplace if Islam, the intellectual and cultural centers of Islam departed the peninsula almost immediately after the death of Muhammad. Thus within years of Mohammed's death we get the Sunni-Shia schism, a schism over succession, that takes place not on the tribal peninsula, but up towards Karbala. The first great capitol of Islam is not at the birthplace, but up towards Baghdad. A list of other historical cultural Islamic capitols would include Damascus, Cairo, Samarkand, and Alhambra, but no place in Saudi Arabia. But now, thanks to petro-dollars, and other inequalities that arise from an oil dominated economy, the world gets hillbilly Islam. Again, I am not implying that the people down south have no grievances. But I think their grievances have more similarities with other groups in Thailand, such as the Isaan folks, for being ignored by the Bangkok elite, than they have similarities with Muslim nations in the Middle East. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bingobongo Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 (edited) Crossfire War - Islamic Militants in South Thailand have Increased Tenfold But the recent wave of attacks in the south, crossfirewar.com reported on Feb. 18, including in a fourth province Songkhla, which is not Muslim majority, has now revealed the existence of a much more extensive network than before. He then mentioned there were what he called "10 ringleaders." I suspect Kuala Lumpur - Tehran know who they are and their operational time-table. http://newsblaze.com/story/20070224000151p...S/Opinions.html Edited February 24, 2007 by bingobongo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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