SOUTH CRISIS
Govt, OIC hopeful plan to cut violence in ramadan will hold
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- Thai authorities and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) hope that the initiative taken by the government and Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), aimed at cutting on violence in the deep South, will yield results from the first day of Ramadan.

Hopes of seeing calm in the predominantly Muslim region are a result of the latest talks between the authorities and the BRN, said National Security Council chief Paradorn Pattanatabutr.

Malaysian authorities said the BRN called off their plan to hold a press conference on the peace initiative in Kuala Lumpur yesterday for reasons that were unclear, but Thai authorities believe the move to reduce violence is still on, he said.

OIC secretary-general Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu yesterday welcomed the initiative between the government and the Muslim group to engage in a ceasefire during the holy month.

Ihsanoglu was briefed on the initiative and other developments in the region during his meeting with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Saturday.

He encouraged both sides to abide by the principles of the "ceasefire" and expressed hope that it would lead to further peaceful developments and increased confidence-building measures towards the ultimate resolution of the conflict in the South. The OIC is ready to be a partner in the process so that peace, security, economic development and prosperity could be enjoyed by all peoples of southern Thailand, he said.

However, Paradorn said that if any violence were to occur during the period, investigation of the incidents would be conducted promptly and completed within 48 hours in order to ascertain which group was responsible.

The security measures for keeping peace and order during Ramadan will be based on the guidelines provided by of the Office of Sheikul Islam, he said.

Sheikhul Islam is known in Thai as Chularatchamontri, the holder of the office of top Islamic religious leader.

There are three small intensively operative groups in the region and the neighbouring country has nothing to do with them, Paradorn said.

Related agencies are discussing the BRN's demands and have sent the Thai guidelines for action to the BRN via the Malaysian facilitator, he added.

However, a day ahead of Ramadan, chaos continued yesterday, as suspected insurgent sympathisers hung cloth banners accusing the Thai authorities of insincerity and calling Thailand "the colony hunter Siamese".

Some areas also had walls vandalised with a similar message, while five hoax bombs were reported in Pattani.

The banners, written in Malayu with the Rumi script, were discovered along roads in many locations in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, as well as in Songkhla's Chana, Thepha and Saba Yoi districts.

Thai authorities pulled down the banners, and tried to collect fingerprints and DNA in the hope of identifying those who had made them and put them up.

A military spokesman, Colonel Pramote Phrom-in, said the authorities needed to maintain their forces in the deep South to keep peace. Officials did not use violence in the area, but carry out their operations within the rule of law and the principles of human rights to act against those who use violence.

-- The Nation 2013-07-10

Ramadam kareem to all my muslim freinds

Ceasefire during the fasting month and then back to violence as usual on a full stomach and this is seen as a positive step.

No matter how you polish bullshit it is still bullshit which is the mantra of the PTP.