Thai PM defends police monitoring of Muslim university students

By Panarat Thepgumpanat and Panu Wongcha-um

 

FILE PHOTO: Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha arrives before delivering the policy statement of the council of ministers to parliament in Bangkok, July 25, 2019. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's prime minister on Tuesday defended police for requesting information about minority Muslim students from universities around the country, after criticism of the move as discriminatory and illegal.

 

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said the police request, which follows a series of bomb blasts in Bangkok in August that were blamed on Muslim suspects, was needed to build a national security database.

 

An official letter from police, shared online by former rights commissioner Angkhana Neelapaijit, asked a university to supply information about the numbers, place of origin, sect affiliation and other details about Muslim-organised student groups. The name of the university was blotted out.

 

"This is an interference to personal rights and a discrimination based on religion," Angkhana said, adding that freedom of religion and the right to privacy were guaranteed by the Thai constitution.

 

About 90% of Thais are Buddhist, though Muslims are a majority in three southern provinces bordering Malaysia.

 

Prayuth said the move was necessary.

 

"The police has already pointed out that this is for the creation of a data base on intelligence," Prayuth said. "No rights have been breached. We cannot manage anything if we don't have data."

 

Muslim students said the police request was discriminatory.

 

"We want the police to reconsider this, the university should be a space where students can express their views freely and their rights are protected," Ashraf Awae, president of the Muslim Students Federation of Thailand told Reuters.

 

A police source told Reuters the request for information on Muslims was linked to the attacks on Aug. 2 that wounded four people when six small bombs and six incendiary devices went off in Bangkok, which was hosting a major international meeting.

 

Three persons have been arrested and 11 others wanted by the authorities are still at large. All of the suspects are Muslim Malays from southern Thailand.

 

"We are worried about those ill-intended people who are infiltrating university students," a police source who did not wish to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media said.

 

Similar letters have been sent to many Thai education institutions as part of a routine update of an existing intelligence data base, the police said in a statement.

 

Some universities with a large population of Muslim students were disturbed by the letter.

 

Wuthisak Lapcharoensap, president of Ramkhamhaeng University in Bangkok told Reuters the police should reconsider their request.

 

"I have not received the letter yet but if it comes, I would not be able to comply," Wuthisak said.

 

(Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat, Editing by Bernadette Baum)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-09-18

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Muslim students not being targeted, Prayut insists

By THE NATION

 

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Tuesday (September 17) defended the Police Special Branch Bureau’s decision to gather the personal information of Muslim university students, saying it was not discriminatory, but just plain compilation of data.

 

He said that Thailand has never had “Big Data” and that this action was not meant to violate anybody’s privacy, adding: “One should never worry about his or her personal information being collected if they do not intend to do anything illegal.”

 

The Muslim Students Federation of Thailand recently issued a statement questioning the bureau’s formal request to all universities asking them to submit personal information about their Muslim students.

 

Prayut quoted the bureau as saying that information about Muslim students was necessary to create a unique database that will be useful in police intelligence service.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30376333

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-09-18

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Big Brother is "Big Data"

37 minutes ago, webfact said:

if they do not intend to do anything illegal.”

yeah and  you could define illegal in any way you want could you  not?

Discrimanation based on religion? This is Thailand, im discriminated for being white and having no religion!

Have to say im all for stopping terrorism but of late my stupid neighbours have been able to make up lies and have a police with a warrant search my home and so on so now there is a pretty descent false file on my family at the local police station. I dont think any thai should be cataloguing anything because they clearly have no idea what they are doing!

 

TM30 them or ankle brackets or just lock them up

1 hour ago, Dave67 said:

Big Brother is "Big Data"

 

Problem is this "Big Brother" is not responsible enough to handle personal data of others.

 

I cannot remember how many times I was given another foreigners passport info on the back of scrap paper at Immigration.

(last time it was a Japanese man's info)

 

Because it seems after they collect all those copies they make us hand in they then use it for scrap paper or to print something else on the backside.

 

 

About 90% of Thais are Buddhist,   SO? How many actually practice it?????? Live by  the 5 precepts ?????

More disturbing news from Thailand. I don't think this type of act will lead to a more peaceful nation. Prayut might be stirring up things hoping for distraction and some reason to implement even more human-rights-abusing policies because his government is weakening due to corruption and failed policies.

42 minutes ago, legend49 said:

About 90% of Thais are Buddhist,   SO? How many actually practice it?????? Live by  the 5 precepts ?????

A very very small % of that 90%

And again most of the posts concentrate on Prayut and Buddhism? It´s not about that.

This is about violence and the minority group in Thailand that have made themself stand out as front figures for bombings and armed attacs. They still call them insurgents, when the right name should be terrorists.

Sure, according to the general way of thinking this can be filed under discrimination. However, each and everyone have to consider some very important points:

 

* Negotiations have been tried with these terrorists, but nothing good has come out of that. That´s more than USA would ever do.

* Security in the south and Bangkok has been beefed up, but they still can walk around placing bombs wherever.

* Registretions of phonecards have been in force, but there are still no control over that.

 

I know, this is not regarding all the muslims and most of them are friendly and caring non violent people. Hovever, most of the bombing and shootings are made out of muslims, and then something must be done when they can´t take responsibility as a group and sort it out themselfs.

I this case, I do agree with Prayut. Not many times I can say that.

Good idea for a change - wish they did that in the West

totally agree JOE, never thought i would see the day where we have Muslim no go areas in the UK due to pussy footing, do gooders, who are frightened of saying how it is, now in my country

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Tuesday (September 17) defended the Police Special Branch Bureau’s decision to gather the personal information of Muslim university students

As Prayut now directly supervises the Royal Thai Police, it is he who is making the request.

And the likelihood that such data will be abused in a discriminatory manner is high.

Prayut as also Defense Minister overseas the Army's Internal Security Operations (ISOC) that is embedded in all local authorities (a process established by Prayut previously as Chief of NCPO).

As I understand, ISOC assures (among its many political responsibilities) that persons suspected of threatening the internal security of the nation down to the lowest levels of society are identified, monitored and apprehended as appropriate. No doubt university administrations must be responsive to any ISOC investigations of such targeted students.

Thailand has under Prayut deteriorated from a flawed democracy to a hybrid regime (ref. Democracy Index). He seems now on a path to further devolve Thailand into potentially a fascist state, ie.,

• A totalitarian philosophy of government that glorifies the state and nation and assigns to the state control over every aspect of national life. http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Fascism/Fascism_def_char_hx.html

 

Racial profiling is a slippery slope and leads to negative stigma and can spiral out of control. Prayut is wrong to condone such policy. He has no leadership quality. 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand's prime minister on Tuesday defended police for requesting information about minority Muslim students from universities around the country, after criticism of the move as discriminatory and illegal.

While Thai students are free to wage open war-fare on the public streets with inter-University challenge !!!

1 hour ago, Matzzon said:

And again most of the posts concentrate on Prayut and Buddhism? It´s not about that.

This is about violence and the minority group in Thailand that have made themself stand out as front figures for bombings and armed attacs. They still call them insurgents, when the right name should be terrorists.

Sure, according to the general way of thinking this can be filed under discrimination. However, each and everyone have to consider some very important points:

 

* Negotiations have been tried with these terrorists, but nothing good has come out of that. That´s more than USA would ever do.

* Security in the south and Bangkok has been beefed up, but they still can walk around placing bombs wherever.

* Registretions of phonecards have been in force, but there are still no control over that.

 

I know, this is not regarding all the muslims and most of them are friendly and caring non violent people. Hovever, most of the bombing and shootings are made out of muslims, and then something must be done when they can´t take responsibility as a group and sort it out themselfs.

I this case, I do agree with Prayut. Not many times I can say that.

Following same logic you use.  Since most of not all the pedophiles coming to Thailand are white westerners,. To deal with these criminals, a database for all farangs must be built to protect Thai kids.  Sound very logic.  Right?

15 minutes ago, Petchou said:

Following same logic you use.  Since most of not all the pedophiles coming to Thailand are white westerners,. To deal with these criminals, a database for all farangs must be built to protect Thai kids.  Sound very logic.  Right?

Give them time. Once the system is up and working, the same measures used against retirees would be one pen stroke away.

3 hours ago, legend49 said:

About 90% of Thais are Buddhist,   SO? How many actually practice it?????? Live by  the 5 precepts ?????

Every morning at schools the kids say

1. Don't drink alcohol

2. Don't have sexual intercourse with someone else wife.

3. Don't lie

4. don't kill

 

But ...........................................

That's ridiculous. Probably got motivation to do as it was done in New York. Then you have re-education in China. They are just jumping on board with it.

 

The real issues to be solved are the bribes given to military officers in the south where religious zealots derive from. Not to mention increased efforts to make it a better community down there. IMO.

Old saying "snitches get stitches" springs to mind ????

And like all over the world ... even in Thailand the Muslims are guilty of all the terrorist attacks!
You have a Muslim suspicion, it is certain that all Muslims are ready for terrorism!
American brainwashing works great!

That headline leaves a bad taste in my mouth. If I was Thai I would not be all that proud.

 

 

 

 

 

2 hours ago, Petchou said:

Following same logic you use.  Since most of not all the pedophiles coming to Thailand are white westerners,. To deal with these criminals, a database for all farangs must be built to protect Thai kids.  Sound very logic.  Right?

No problem for me, I have nothing to hide. If it serves it´s purpose, then I am all for it. How about you? What are you scared of?

Good on Thailand, Muslims are one of the few minorities who refuse to fully integrate with their hosting country. Mosques and so-called "religious" schools are potential breeding grounds for hostile ideology.

 

There have been many reports in Europe echoing the same concerns that tighter controls should be in place.

 

Now you may understand why Burma and China will not tolerate this type of ideology, as it undermines their culture and values.

12 minutes ago, the guest said:

Good on Thailand, Muslims are one of the few minorities who refuse to fully integrate with their hosting country.

Muslims here are indigenous. They are hosting the Thais Buddhists. You got the fact reversed. 

5 hours ago, legend49 said:

About 90% of Thais are Buddhist,

90% think they are, like sheep, taught from birth, witness  small toddlers with lucky amulets around  their wrists, its child  abuse and I hope one day it  will be brought up worldwide as such.

3 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

He has no

quality in anything...

41 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

No problem for me, I have nothing to hide. If it serves it´s purpose, then I am all for it. How about you? What are you scared of?

Let  us  know  in the not too distant future when all this data is  hacked  into and your files are altered your iris  scan and fingerprints   used where you don't want them and you  cant prove you weren't there.

Even now cloning of id's  is  leading good people into terrible problems.

Edited September 18, 20196 yr by Chazar

27 minutes ago, the guest said:

Good on Thailand, Muslims are one of the few minorities who refuse to fully integrate with their hosting country. Mosques and so-called "religious" schools are potential breeding grounds for hostile ideology.

 

There have been many reports in Europe echoing the same concerns that tighter controls should be in place.

 

Now you may understand why Burma and China will not tolerate this type of ideology, as it undermines their culture and values.

Moronic post. They are native to the country.