Malaysian Pm's Visit To Show Up Lack Of Deep South Action

[Steve2UK]

[OPINION]

Malaysian PM's visit to show up lack of deep South action

By DON PATHAN

THE NATION

Published on December 7, 2009

MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER Najib Razak's visit to Thailand this week, specifically to the Malay-speaking South, is significant in more ways than one.

In some ways, the timing is awfully bad for Thailand, not so much because of the internal political bickering between the red and yellow shirts. It's because the administration is at a loss as to what to do about the conflict in the deep South, a topic that is certain to be high on the agenda when the two leaders meet in Bangkok prior to making a joint visit to the restive region.

While publicly acknowledging that the insurgency is Thailand's internal problem, Najib will be taking note as to what direction Thailand will take to change the course of the conflict and bring it under control. Judging from Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's recent repeated rhetoric - how development and more political participation at the local level could solve the problem - the Malaysian leader is likely to be disappointed because of the lack of progress. The confidence-building measure with the southern Muslims has also taken its toll on the government's secret peace process with separatist groups.

The idea of talking to the enemy, at least in a more systematic and strategic fashion, was floated by then prime minister Surayud Chulanont. Just before leaving office, Surayud met personally with representatives from the Patani United Liberation Organisation during a brief stopover in Bahrain in 2007. Malaysian authorities helped with the arrangements.

Kuala Lumpur wanted to "mediate" the process but Bangkok did not see the Malaysian government as an honest broker and the best they could do was to "facilitate" the process.

The following administrations of the late Samak Sundaravej and Somchai Wongsawat were too bogged down with the street protests and did not give the peace process due attention.

Abhisit, meanwhile, is trying to pick up the pieces from where Surayud left off. A new National Security Council chief who supports the idea of establishing a peace process was appointed and a team of trusted associates was set up to meet with members of the longstanding separatist groups, commonly referred to as the old guard.

The idea was to get the old guard to broker a peace deal with the new generation of insurgents on the ground.

This might be a long shot, but it was the only channel they had to the militants who don't seem to be that enthusiastic about the idea of talking in the first place.

"The way they see it, they are winning," said one exiled leader in reference to the younger generation of militants on the ground, locally known as the juwae, or fighters in the local Malay dialect.

According to sources inside the government and the exiled community of separatists, Abhisit's initiative was gaining some traction. The old guard, namely Pulo and Barisan Revolusi Nasional, succeeded in getting the new generation to give the process the time of day.

But before the process could gain serious momentum, a massacre in Narathiwat's district of Joh I Rong jolted the whole process.

A former Buddhist ranger identified by police as Suthirak Kongsuwan led a five-man team with assault rifles and a shotgun to mow down a mosque full of Muslims who were right in the middle of evening prayers. They killed 11 people and wounded 12.

Photographs of the five suspects have surfaced and circulated around the region, putting the top brass and government in an extremely awkward position.

Officials in the region said this information was leaked to pressure the government into arresting these men, who many believe were the product of "security outsourcing", a fancy name for a death squad working for local military units.

Immediately after the June 8 massacre, the juwae, as well as some of the hard-liners in the exiled community, said they would not endorse the peace process until the massacre is resolved.

Political insiders said Abhisit has not been able to move on the promise of bringing justice to the Ai Bayae mosque massacre because of stiff resistance from security forces.

"People with half a brain understand that this is holding up the peace process," said Human Rights Watch's Sunai Phasuk.

"Failure to prosecute those murderers reaffirms longstanding grievances in the Muslim community that Bangkok isn't committed to give them justice or treat them as equals."

Among the supporters of the peace process, there is an acknowledgement that the Malaysians have done their part and the ball is now in Thailand's court. Kuala Lumpur authorities suggested to the Patani Malay exiled community to formulate a common position and then work with the Thais on this peace process.

Thailand is going to have to respond because the mandate for the peace process came from Bangkok in the first place.

But judging from the activities of the military on the ground, meeting the Malaysians halfway will not be easy.

For one thing, they just don't like the idea of talking to the enemy; they think their military might, coupled with development money, can solve the problem, a number of Thai security officials have said.

Furthermore, spin doctors from the Fourth Army Area overseeing the deep South has been distorting facts by shifting the blame for the massacre on the juwae.

The names of known suspected insurgents allegedly linked to other high-profile incidents, such as the guns, grenade and car-bomb attacks in Sungai Kolok on October 6, were made to appear that they were involved in the Ai Bayae massacre.

"Apparently, the military does not want to see this peace process get off the ground, thus the foot-dragging in the investigation, not to mention the effort to distort the facts," Sunai said.

According to Sunai, no one seems to understand the significance of Najib's visit to the Malay-speaking South.

If anything, his presence amounts to telling the ethnic Malays in the deep South that they need to come to terms with their Thai citizenship and reconcile their differences with the Thais.

Abhisit, on the other hand, can reciprocate by telling the Malays in Patani that their Thai citizenship will not come at the expense of their identity or their place in the Malay world.

Acknowledging that the people in the deep South embrace a different set of historical narratives may be welcomed by the Malays in Thailand's deep South.

But for the juwae on the ground, it may be a case of too little and too late. The stakes appear to be higher now, especially after the mosque massacre.

-- The Nation December 7, 2009

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

http://nationmultimedia.com/2009/12/07/opi...on_30118096.php

[webfact]

Malaysian prime minister visits Thailand to boost ties

Bangkok - Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak arrived in Thailand Monday on an official three-day visit during which he and Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva will visit deep south provinces on the Thai-Malaysia border.

On Tuesday, Razak and Abhsiit are due to co-chair bilateral consultations in Bangkok on various areas of cooperation.

Both leaders are to travel to Narathiwat province on Wednesday to attend a ceremony to rename a bridge across the Golok river as the "Friendship Bridge."

The two premiers are expected to discuss ways of ending a long festering conflict in Thailand's three southernmost provinces - Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala - which has claimed more than 3,500 lives over the past six years.

About 80 per cent of the region's 2 million people are Muslims, with closer cultural, linguistic and historical ties to neighbouring Malaysia than to predominantly Buddhist Thailand.

Although the region, which centuries ago was the independent Islamic sultanate of Pattani, was conquered by Bangkok about 200 years ago, it has never wholly submitted to Thai rule.

-- The Nation 2009/12/7

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[Publicus]

Yeh, Malaysia truly Asia also states in its advertisements and promotional materials that it is dominated by Sharia law in its governance of its society. Consequently, I wonder about the foreign investors who feel comfortable doing business, economics and finance in Malaysia. I further wonder about any separation of church and state there.

Malaysia in the past has practiced holidays of other religions, such as Christmas and Hinduism. Does it recognize or respect Jewish holidays, I wonder? How about Buddhist holidays Macca Bucha and others?

The new PM is the first to appear in the southern insurrectionist provinces. I'd suspect he has a nominal reason for doing so and a real purpose behind it.

[justnbangkok]

Malaysian prime minister visits Thailand to boost ties

Bangkok - Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak arrived in Thailand Monday on an official three-day visit during which he and Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva will visit deep south provinces on the Thai-Malaysia border.

On Tuesday, Razak and Abhsiit are due to co-chair bilateral consultations in Bangkok on various areas of cooperation.

Both leaders are to travel to Narathiwat province on Wednesday to attend a ceremony to rename a bridge across the Golok river as the "Friendship Bridge."

The two premiers are expected to discuss ways of ending a long festering conflict in Thailand's three southernmost provinces - Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala - which has claimed more than 3,500 lives over the past six years.

About 80 per cent of the region's 2 million people are Muslims, with closer cultural, linguistic and historical ties to neighbouring Malaysia than to predominantly Buddhist Thailand.

Although the region, which centuries ago was the independent Islamic sultanate of Pattani, was conquered by Bangkok about 200 years ago, it has never wholly submitted to Thai rule.

-- The Nation 2009/12/7

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

don't they realize malaysia was originally part of thailand so therefore they are thai and so are most malaysians.

[Credo]

I met some interesting people sitting in an international airport departure lounge. There was a Malaysian, a Singaporian and a Filipino. One asked where I was from and where I lived. I told him Thailand and they launched into a mini-tirade about Thailand and it's politics. The Malaysian and the Singaporian were particularly interested in the situation in the South. They seem to see the visit as giving support to their brothers in the South rather than assisting the Thai government.

I asked them how my good friend Anwar was doing and that deflected what could have been an uncomfortable conversation.

[geriatrickid]

A refreshing opinion piece that highlights the underlying problem with the army command.

Causes one to wonder who would have planted the motorcycle bomb that went off at the Narathiwat Muang market yesterday, killing two and injuring eight other people.

[Publicus]

Once Islam permeated the area the basis of society and civilization morphed away from Buddhist (Theravada) and Thai.

After spending some time down there living and working, I noticed there are Thai Muslims, Muslim Muslims and radical Muslims. To the general population for example, Dec 5th is Father's Day, not much beyond that.

The most loyal province, Satun, was being rewarded by the TRT government with huge economic development projects and typically TRT Grand Plans which have made some progress as an example to the other provinces of the area, but in reality have little general impact. Which is why I don't think the real complaint is that the southern provinces are ignored in economic terms. It's really cultural.

Satun and Songkhla are contented to be Thai but there are fundamental problems in Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani. Bangkok would do well to place Muslims in charge of provincial and municipal governments there rather than continue to give the Muslim residents the feeling of being occupied by Buddhist Thais, to include the corrupt police who (wisely) keep a low profile. There are plenty of loyalist Muslims in all of the five provinces who could be placed in government and among the police.

Edited December 8, 2009 by Publicus

[GuyLakeman]

Malaysia is NOT to be trusted. I spent 14 years there building ASTRO etc. to be finally at the wrong end of organised grand theft.

When I recently visited the place as my children are at school there ASTRO radio was still playing the same propaganda songs that it was 2 years ago when I moved to Thailand (and a better life)

[buddy]

I work with some Malaysians.

60% of the population of Malaysia is Muslim, The Malay Muslims (Immigrants in themselves) control the Government, the Armed Forces, Education, the Gas & Oil wealth and administration etc and heavily discriminate against the non-Muslim Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian Indian populations.

For example the Malay Muslims in this Company (Malaysian owned) are allowed to take 10 days paid leave extra on top of there annual leave entitlement to go on the Hajj which is the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia....the Chinese or Indian Malays who are either Tao, Buddhist, Christian and Hindu are not allowed to take any extra holidays for Religious reasons??

The Malay Muslims are trying to force Malaysia to be a 100% Muslim Country.

The Malays I work with openly admit that there Government funds training camps for the insurgency in Thailand.

Malaysia truly Asia blah!........closer to Saudi Arabia.

[Bagwan]

I witnessed a curious sight on Pattaya Tai this afternoon. Standing in the back of an Army truck was an officer with a microphone/loud hailer asking, according to her that does the ironing, for donations of food and clothing to be sent to the South. Doesn't the Army adequately feed the soldiers I asked. Will the food be distributed to the locals? Maybe, maybe not she replied.

Anybody else see this? Has anything been lost in the translation?

I now can't shake from my mind the scam run by monks from Wat Chaimongkhol who collected offerings from the stallholders at the market opposite and sold the goods at their shop on Pattaya Nua.

Edited December 8, 2009 by Bagwan

[sunsamourai]

don't they realize malaysia was originally part of thailand so therefore they are thai and so are most malaysians.

Do you mean like :

- Alaska was Russian ?

- Florida and Louisiana were French ?

- Tibet was Chinese ?

- China was Mongolian ?

- Spain was Arab ?

Please, enlighten us ...

[emcee]

I work with some Malaysians.

60% of the population of Malaysia is Muslim, The Malay Muslims (Immigrants in themselves) control the Government, the Armed Forces, Education, the Gas & Oil wealth and administration etc and heavily discriminate against the non-Muslim Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian Indian populations.

False. You might want to do a bit of reading on the subject.

While the handful top officials may or may not be ethnically Malay, it's widely known that Malays are by far the poorest ethnic group in Malaysia (specifically West Malaysia). This is not disputed, Malaysia's working class wealth is primarily distributed among the ethnic Chinese population, followed by the Indians and finally the Malays. Some of the actions regarding favoritism to ethnic Malays in business, education and economics Malays are attempts to provide equal opportunities to an apparently financially under privileged group, aka "affirmative action."

At the same time however, the national governing bodies do seem to force Islam on the entire population, despite that 40 percent practice a differing faiths.

[Bagwan]

don't they realize malaysia was originally part of thailand so therefore they are thai and so are most malaysians.

Maybe it is because they have a better grasp of history that you do.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm..._circa_1922.PNG

After the first Anglo-Burmese war in 1824, when Siam was approached by the British as a possible ally, a Siamese army was actually equipped. There was, however, still a certain amount of ill-feeling and suspicion between Great Britain and Siam, consequent upon the events in Kedah, and the Siamese took no serious part in the war, though they were, as nominal allies, included in the peace, signed on February 24, 1826, whereby Great Britain acquired the Burmese Provinces of Arakan, Martaban, Tavoy and Tennasserim.

Later in the year of 1826, Captain Henry Burney visited Bangkok and succeeded in concluding a Treaty of Amity and Commerce between Siam and the East India Company.

studentmalaysia.com/Malaysia.html

It is a Thai myth that Rama V outwitted the Brits to keep Siam, as it was then, for the Siamese. British interest was best served by keeping Siam independent and acting as a buffer state against incursions from the jackal French cruelly governing what was then known as Indo-China.