PM orders action against activists seeking Muslim Pattani State referendum

[webfact]

 

The National Security Council (NSC) of Thailand has been instructed by outgoing Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to investigate a group of activists who called for a public referendum on the establishment of an independent Muslim ‘Pattani State‘ separate from Thailand.

 

The demand for a referendum was made during a seminar titled “Self-determination,” which introduced the “National Student Movement” or “Pelajar Bangsa” from the four southern border provinces. The seminar, held at the Prince of Songkla University (PSU), Pattani campus, encouraged residents to vote for the proposed move, Bangkok Post reported.

 

Supoj Malaniyom, the NSC secretary-general, stated on Friday that the NSC informed the prime minister about the issue and subsequently ordered an investigation into the individuals involved. There are concerns that the call for a public referendum could lead to disunity. A meeting to discuss the matter will be held by the NSC next Monday.

“The call for a public referendum on independence is illegal and doesn’t benefit anyone,” said Supoj Malaniyom.

 

by Mitch Connor

 

Top Photo by Bangkok Post.

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/news/south/pm-orders-action-against-activists-seeking-muslim-pattani-state-referendum

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-06-12

 

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[Enoon]

“Pelajar Bangsa” is Malay language.

 

They want an independent Ethnic Malay state.

 

Islam happens to be their religion, which forms an essential component of their very not-Siamese/Thai ethnicity, culture and society.

 

They started agitating for it in 1948 because they had been colonised by Siam/Thailand and:

 

"After WWII, national self-determination became an objective for some countries and international organizations like the United States and the United Nations. Proponents of national self-determination largely believed the inhabitants of a region should be able to decide what government is best for themselves"

https://study.com/academy/lesson/post-wwii-independence-movements-around-the-world-history-examples.html

 

They never were, they never wanted to be, they don't want to be......Thai.

 

It is so ******* simple.

 

 

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Supoj Malaniyom, the NSC secretary-general, stated on Friday that the NSC informed the prime minister about the issue and subsequently ordered an investigation into the individuals involved.

Sounds rather threatening.

[smedly]

action action action

 

care to give us all a clue what "action" should be taken

[Gottfrid]

5 hours ago, Enoon said:

They never were, they never wanted to be, they don't want to be......Thai.

 

It is so ******* simple.

 

 

Yeah, but as of now they do not need to be Thai´s either. I am not Thai, but I can live here without claiming a part of the country. There is 2 choices here:

1. Stay, shut up and put out the praying mat when time.
2. Move to the right side of the border and get back the state they talk about.

That´s even more simple!

Edited June 12, 2023 by Gottfrid

[PETERTHEEATER]

9 hours ago, Enoon said:

“Pelajar Bangsa” is Malay language.

 

They want an independent Ethnic Malay state.

 

Islam happens to be their religion, which forms an essential component of their very not-Siamese/Thai ethnicity, culture and society.

 

They started agitating for it in 1948 because they had been colonised by Siam/Thailand and:

 

"After WWII, national self-determination became an objective for some countries and international organizations like the United States and the United Nations. Proponents of national self-determination largely believed the inhabitants of a region should be able to decide what government is best for themselves"

https://study.com/academy/lesson/post-wwii-independence-movements-around-the-world-history-examples.html

 

They never were, they never wanted to be, they don't want to be......Thai.

 

It is so ******* simple.

 

 

Allah kareem.

[MrMojoRisin]

*caretaker PM

[herfiehandbag]

5 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

Yeah, but as of now they do not need to be Thai´s either. I am not Thai, but I can live here without claiming a part of the country. There is 2 choices here:

1. Stay, shut up and put out the praying mat when time.
2. Move to the right side of the border and get back the state they talk about.

That´s even more simple!

It is even simpler than that.

 

They, and their land, homes, communities, identities, were moved into Thailand against their will. Not as a result of settlement, conquest or colonisation centuries ago, but as a result of a political settlement, brokered by other countries, 70 years ago.

 

On an arbitrary date,(1948 I believe) without any consultation or participation in the decision, they woke up to find they were Thai. Subject to a government driven by religious practices, constitutional establishments and social ways which were alien to them, a government which immediately demanded unconditional loyalty.

Edited June 12, 2023 by herfiehandbag

[zzaa09]

1 hour ago, MrMojoRisin said:

*caretaker PM

....and not taking care very well, is he? For some time now. 

This, like many other non-issues, is yet another distraction.

[stoner]

14 hours ago, webfact said:

“The call for a public referendum on independence is illegal and doesn’t benefit anyone,” said Supoj Malaniyom.

says you. 

 

anyone with any basic knowledge of the south knows it is not really thailand at all down there. 

[zzaa09]

12 hours ago, Enoon said:

“Pelajar Bangsa” is Malay language.

 

They want an independent Ethnic Malay state.

 

Islam happens to be their religion, which forms an essential component of their very not-Siamese/Thai ethnicity, culture and society.

 

They started agitating for it in 1948 because they had been colonised by Siam/Thailand and:

 

"After WWII, national self-determination became an objective for some countries and international organizations like the United States and the United Nations. Proponents of national self-determination largely believed the inhabitants of a region should be able to decide what government is best for themselves"

https://study.com/academy/lesson/post-wwii-independence-movements-around-the-world-history-examples.html

 

They never were, they never wanted to be, they don't want to be......Thai.

 

It is so ******* simple.

 

 

Actually, to be more historically accurate, the these local issues have their origins from the turn-of-last-century....The Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909, where two colonial powers partitioned the spoils. Noting as well, during the so called "Malayan Emergency" for Malay independence, the four extreme southern provinces held allegiance to the Malayan cause for rebellion...and betrayed by the powers that be. 

[SpaceKadet]

8 hours ago, herfiehandbag said:

It is even simpler than that.

 

They, and their land, homes, communities, identities, were moved into Thailand against their will. Not as a result of settlement, conquest or colonisation centuries ago, but as a result of a political settlement, brokered by other countries, 70 years ago.

 

On an arbitrary date,(1948 I believe) without any consultation or participation in the decision, they woke up to find they were Thai. Subject to a government driven by religious practices, constitutional establishments and social ways which were alien to them, a government which immediately demanded unconditional loyalty.

Yes, and just like Kuwait and Palestine, British Colonial Power had a lot of saying in this.

[chalawaan]

27 minutes ago, SpaceKadet said:

Yes, and just like Kuwait and Palestine, British Colonial Power had a lot of saying in this.

Old Siam adopted British Royal customs right down to the governess teacher, the guards tunics, and even standing in cinemas. 

It's no surprise the colonial aspects were adopted too.

 

Britain has since moved on, and yes, modern Thailand need to imitate that as well. 

 

 

 

[chalawaan]

6 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

Actually, to be more historically accurate, the these local issues have their origins from the turn-of-last-century....The Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909, where two colonial powers partitioned the spoils. Noting as well, during the so called "Malayan Emergency" for Malay independence, the four extreme southern provinces held allegiance to the Malayan cause for rebellion...and betrayed by the powers that be. 

This war remains the only modern insurgency that failed for the insurgents. 

Of course many on the losing side were Chinese easybeats, they also had their butts handed to them by both the Vietnamese and Cambodian Communists as well. 

 

 

[herfiehandbag]

7 hours ago, SpaceKadet said:

Yes, and just like Kuwait and Palestine, British Colonial Power had a lot of saying in this.

During the dismantling of Japanese control in 1945 and the subsequent return of the territories annexed by Thailand, large parts of the Shan States in Burma, and parts of Laos and Cambodia  (then under French control); there was also quite a strong difference in opinion between the British and Americans over the future of the Muslim ethnically Malay southern provinces.

 

Thailand had been a (neither effective nor entirely enthusiastic) ally of Japan, and had declared war on Britain. They had, however not declared war on the USA. Britain wished for these province to be incorporated into (then) Malaya which was to become independent in due course. The US with an eye on Thailand's potential as an ally in South East Asia insisted that they remained in Thailand. 

 

The ethnically Malay southern provinces had, prewar been rather left alone by the central Thai Government. During the war they had been tightly controlled by the Japanese. US support for them remaining in Thailand encouraged the postwar Thai military dominated government to bring them under much greater political and social control. That move to exert greater political and particularly social control (and make them more "Thai") is the root of the current insurgency.

 

Perhaps not the fault of the British?

Edited June 13, 2023 by herfiehandbag