Organisation Of Islamic Conference (OIC) To Take Up Issue Of Militancy In Thailand's South

[webfact]

SOUTH CRISIS

OIC to take up issue of militancy in South

By Don Pathan

The Nation

56-country organisation has meetings with Patani Malay separatist groups

The Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) is poised to delve into the issue of insurgency in Thailand's Muslim-majority South to look for a political solution to the ongoing conflict that has claimed more than 4,200 lives since January 2004.

According to diplomatic sources and leaders of the long-standing Patani Malay separatist groups, the OIC had organised simultaneous meetings with these exiled leaders in Kuala Lumpur and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on September 30-October 1.

OIC secretary-general Prof Dr Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu chaired the meeting in Jeddah, while Talal A Daous, the organisation's director for the Muslim Minorities and Communities group, chaired the gathering in Kuala Lumpur.

GROUPS THAT HAD TALKS

Participants of the recent gathering at the two cities included two factions of the Patani United Liberation Organisations (PULO), Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), Barisan Islam Pembangunan Pattani (BIPP) and others senior leaders from the exiled community.

The leaders were urged to combine their efforts to form a political front, while the OIC vowed to help facilitate a dialogue process with the Thai government. The Malaysian government helped facilitate the meeting in Kuala Lumpur and it was understood that Malaysia would work closely with the OIC on this initiative.

According to one diplomat, the OIC urged these longstanding separatist groups to combine efforts and form the United Patani People Council (UPPC). Once the front was created, the Patani People Congress (PCC) would be in the pipeline. The idea behind the PCC is to obtain some sort of mandate from the Muslims of Patani, a Malay historical homeland that came under Bangkok's direct rule just over a century ago when the vassal state was annexed by Siam.

A participant at the meetings quoted OIC officials as having said their organisation was the "most suitable" to take up the initiative, citing religious affiliation and a long history of interest in the conflict in Thailand's deep South.

CAUTION

The move by the 56-member OIC was welcomed by the exiled Patani Malay leaders and it was the most concrete action yet. However, almost all interviewed by The Nation cautioned against any great expectation, saying similar initiatives by the OIC as well as other so-called peace processes in the recent past have failed to take off or translate into formal peace.

"The OIC has expressed interest in seeing peace in Patani but the most they have done was issue statements criticising the treatment of Malay Muslims by the Thai state," said one exiled leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

One Pulo source said his faction was taking a "wait and see" approach, saying it was "too early to make any conclusion as to how this initiative will evolve".

Another Pulo leader from a different faction said for any initiative to gain real traction, it would be up to "the Thais themselves as to whom they thought suitable to be a mediator or facilitator".

-- The Nation 2010-11-01

[asiawatcher]

Separatist Groups don't ever want to integrate so why form a political alliance? More over, if Thailand resumed the former Malay state then give it back, move the border and keep the Muslims where they belong, in Malaysia! It seems Thailand can't keep its nose clean when it comes to border disputes.

[webfact]

Govt cool on OIC moves to bring peace to far South

By The Nation

Thai authorities were aware of meetings between the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) and leaders of Southern separatist groups - and wanted the body to stay away from Thailand's domestic affairs, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said yesterday.

The OIC had organised simultaneous meetings with exiled leaders in Kuala Lumpur and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on September 30-October 1 to seek a political solution to the violence in the predominantly Muslim region which has killed more than 4200 people since the beginning of 2004.

According to Kasit, the world Islamic body has not yet officially informed Thai authorities on the latest meeting - one of a series in Jeddah chaired by OIC secretary-general Prof Dr Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu.

The meeting was not a surprise for authorities since the government had been kept informed by Malaysia's Prime Minister and OIC officials about such get-togethers between the OIC and leaders of the exiled groups, he said.

The government was optimistic about the meetings and hoped it could contribute through efforts by Thai authorities to bring peace and order to the deep South, he said.

"But we have made clear that southern issues are not the international community's business and we don't want anybody to intervene in our domestic affairs," Kasit told reporters.

Participants in the recent meetings included two factions of the Patani United Liberation Organisations (PULO), Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), Barisan Islam Pembangunan Pattani (BIPP) and other senior leaders from the exiled community.

The OIC urged the separatists to combine their efforts to form a political front and the organisation would help facilitate a dialogue process with Thai authorities.

However, Kasit said his government would not accept the OIC's facilitation, saying that Thailand was able to organise such a dialogue itself.

"A middleman is not needed. We know them [the separatists] very well and believe we are able to talk as they are Thai citizens who know the Thai language," he said.

"If they have any frustration, let's come to talk. Thailand is a free society. Violence cannot solve the problem. We all know such violence does not work. There's no way to win victory through violence," he said.

-- The Nation 2010-11-02

[chantorn]

This is a domestic affair. OIC should shut up and keep up.

[cdnvic]

Inflammatory posts removed.

[jayjay0]

How do they figure they an settle this with a political solution. It is based in religion and as long as there is a Koran there will be a problem. Makes no difference what country they are in. They will always push to change things to the Muslim way no matter what.