Things Fall Apart - Thailand's Muslim Insurgency Is Spinning Out Of Control.

[bingobongo]

more reality, nothing more.....nothing less...

Thailand's Muslim insurgency is spinning out of control.

Unlike the rest of Southeast Asia, fundamentalist violence here is getting worse.

Experts say that Thailand, a mostly Buddhist country, now faces the worst unrest since it annexed the Muslim region bordering Malaysia in 1902, and that the violence could spread north.

Experts fear it could provoke the terrorists to strike tourist sites in the rest of the country.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20226566/site/newsweek/

Edited August 11, 2007 by bingobongo

[LinkPopularity]

and that the violence could spread north.

who's in charge of this country ?

so, no more ...

[Aujuba]

Most of the blame for the south lies on Mr Thaksin. He had completely control of everything and decided to do thing the George Bush way. Lots of people were basically murdered by the govt at the mosque and at TakBai. Thaksin never made his people take responsibilty for their doings. It's a you-killed-my-brothe- and-I'm-gonna-kill-yours 'war' now. You can't blame the current leadership for past events.

As for it being different than in other parts of Asia? who knows? Didn't 50 soldiers and islamists just die in fighting in Jolo in the Philipines the other day?

I would just cut of those four provinces and give them back to malaysia. Although Thailand has religious freedom to an extent. I would keep Thailand Buddhist because Christians and Muslims just just can't seem to get away from warring with other religious groups.

[PeaceBlondie]

After reading the entire article, I noticed that while it mentions lots of relevant facts about the southern 'insurgency' in Thailand, it doesn't bother to mention the religion of the junta's leader. Irrelevant, apparently. Or insignificant, perhaps?

[Ulysses G.]

Most of the blame for the south lies on Mr Thaksin. He had completely control of everything and decided to do thing the George Bush way.

I would just cut of those four provinces and give them back to malaysia.

"Most of the blame"? This has been going on long before Mr. Thaksin had anything to do with it.

Why don't we give back Australia and the U.S.A. to the natives while we are at it?

[cdnvic]

I would just cut of those four provinces and give them back to malaysia. Although Thailand has religious freedom to an extent. I would keep Thailand Buddhist because Christians and Muslims just just can't seem to get away from warring with other religious groups.

So give the terrorists what they want. Yeah, that'll discourage others

[onzestan]

I would keep Thailand Buddhist because Christians and Muslims just just can't seem to get away from warring with other religious groups.

Difference is that the Muslims have perfected the play of being the victims of Christians to an art form, and many christians including most of the media are still falling for it. The crusades were nearly 1000 years ago and Europe is still being blamed for them. Unfortunately Thaivisa does NOT allow me to voice my opinion regarding this so called religion so I'll refrain from doing so.

onzestan

[Sanpatong]

After reading the entire article, I noticed that while it mentions lots of relevant facts about the southern 'insurgency' in Thailand, it doesn't bother to mention the religion of the junta's leader. Irrelevant, apparently. Or insignificant, perhaps?

Well, it's not significant indeed though I would agree with you that not mentioning it is a missed opportunity to be able to explain that it's not a religion-driven conflict primarily, but an ethnic / who-controls-the-land type of conflict, similar to Northern Ireland really, where the devide went along religious lines without being *primarily* a religious conflict. It's the ethnic background that is the driving force, as illustrated by the fact that Thai Muslims happily live in Thailand and are (and have always been) in the government and the military.

Sonthi happily takes orders from His Majesty the King, who he's fiercely loyal to. (Sworn the oath that he continues to live up to) That his religion is Islam is a mere footnote.

So in that sense you could call it 'relevant', yes.

Edited August 12, 2007 by Sanpatong

[a2396]

These 3 provinces are incompatible bedfellows with the rest of the country & the southern boundry sould be re-arranged, to put them back from whence they were stolen, in some"horse trading" deal designed by the British colonials.

[Mid]

These 3 provinces

correct once upon a time , not any more .............................................

[a2396]

Maybe Thailand needs an ID system like the one now to be implemented in China. See article from NY Time attached. Life just seems to get more and more complicated, unfortunately.

China_Enacting_a_High_Tech_Plan_to_Track_People.rtf