Moves to quell anger over Trang incident

[Lite Beer]

Moves to quell anger over Trang incident
The Sunday Nation

TRANG: -- Apology offered after PDRC protesters sought to close school by mosque; drama may have led to attack by insurgents

Moves were underway in Trang yesterday to try to ease tension after anti-government protesters tried to close a school adjacent to a mosque in Palian district.

Central Islamic Committee of Thailand (CICOT) member Somsak Phitsuwan visited the Su So community, where 300 supporters of the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) showed up on Monday.

The protesters arrived when Muslim students were attending classes at Islamic Ismailiyah Foundation School and some students and members of the public were praying at the Su So Mosque in the same compound.

The protesters called for the school to close in a bid to get people to join their protest against the government. Some reportedly appeared to be drunk and some allegedly fired gunshots into the sky.

Somsak said information he got from local sources was different from news reports. He said Buddhist and Islamic Thais still lived together normally and understood what happened. He was told that protesters tried to get the school to suspend classes to join their "civil disobedience" campaign, but the entrance to the school and the mosque was the same. He said the protesters did not mean to close the mosque or obstruct prayers or cause offence. He urged the media to be careful in reporting such sensitive matters and said he would report the facts he gathered to CICOT.

Wira Charoenrit, Trang Islamic Council deputy chairperson, said the protest leaders submitted a letter of apology to the school and mosque so he suggested that they meet the Chularatchamontri to explain facts and issue a statement to reduce tension.

The Trang Islamic Council hosted a press conference at the City Hall at 10 am yesterday about the incident and said that the protesters did not mean to surround the mosque but wanted to go to the school, located 30 metres away in the same compound.

The council urged people not to use the incident to create more conflict or misunderstanding for political gain. It also urged the protesters - on all sides - to be careful and avoid religious sites, to avoid misunderstanding as in this case. They said they would send a letter of explanation to the Office of the Chularatchamontri and 39 other provincial Islamic councils about what happened.

Student and protest leader, Preepramote Lertworapat, who attended the press conference, apologised to the councillors about what happened - which the councillors gladly accepted.

Meanwhile, Commander of Army region 4, Lt Gen Sakol Chuentrakool went to Songkhla to meet Chularatchamontri Aziz Pitakkhumpol.

As the apology was made publicly and accepted, Sakol said the spiritual leader urged that the case not be blown out of proportion and to end. Sakol met later in the afternoon with religious leaders in Muang district in Pattani to try to quell any controversy.

A source at the Internal Security Operations Command in Region 4 revealed Sakol feared separatists may try to stir up discontent over this matter via leaflets. It was suspected that a gun attack on Friday in which an army ranger and a monk were killed may have stemmed from this controversy.

In related news, Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order spokesperson Sunisa Lertpakawat urged anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban to apologise to all Thai Muslims about what happened in Trang.

She said Suthep should submit an apology to the Office of the Chularatchamontri, as well as talk to local religious leaders and listen to the demands of those affected. She also urged Suthep to keep the protesters in check so that they don't violate others' religious rights.

-- The Nation 2014-01-26

[Cricketnut]

Ah a first, the PDRC taking responsibility for their actions? Or the mob feeling a little insecure... Stupid Stupid Stupid. And so they should apologize. Bunch of drunken hooliganism at its zenith!

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[Robby nz]

In related news, Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order spokesperson Sunisa Lertpakawat urged anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban to apologise to all Thai Muslims about what happened in Trang.

She said Suthep should submit an apology to the Office of the Chularatchamontri, as well as talk to local religious leaders and listen to the demands of those affected. She also urged Suthep to keep the protesters in check so that they don't violate others' religious rights.

In other words CMPO are trying to make political capital out of it which is what others are saying not to do.

[noitom]

This incident in the mosque in Trang Thailand augurs poorly for Thailand with the muslim community.

[tominbkk]

Any old excuse for the muslim insurgents to strike is a good excuse. In their blood.

[theslime]

Dumb, for trying to co-opt students for Polictical gain, Very Dumb For going into Mosque/Local School. There,s got to be easy money for PR people in the PDRC Southern Branch, as they need help urgently.

[bangkokheat]

biggest case of back peddling i have seen, how can you not tell muslim school from budhist school??

[theslime]

Any old excuse for the muslim insurgents to strike is a good excuse. In their blood.

I think you mean in their History. You should read up on Tak Bai and Krue Sa Mosque ,Massacres, and then you would know, that its not in their blood, but in their recent History. and not just any old excuse.

[moonao]

Just when you thought these anti-government protesters couldn't get any stupider, they go ahead and do something like this.

[soi41]

biggest case of back peddling i have seen, how can you not tell muslim school from budhist school??

So according to you, it is okay to intimidate Bhuddhist children into not attending school??

[soi41]

biggest case of back peddling i have seen, how can you not tell muslim school from budhist school??

I know the protesters are not burdened by a high IQ, but maybe the building would give a hint??

[MrJohnson]

Typical and increasingly bully-boy tactics of the PRDC. Persuasion is one thing, coercion is another. Keep children out of this conflict. Whether they are Buddhust, Christian or Islamic is entirely irrelevant - they should not be drawn into this farce.

[pipkins]

Looks like everybody was forced out in the south.

Shows that non of these protests down there supported with anyconviction.

Suthep says you must march and protest with PDRC.... Thats what they do. Maybe time to cede the South of Thailand before their corruption and violence spread to the rest of the country.

Keep your palm oil and your fish that you catch with slave labour and live under Suthaps Jackboot.

Protesting is one thing, going in drunk, threatening with guns.....

[Yunla]

This is not about Islam at all.

This is about people taking to the streets and blockading/occupying areas, which causes stress and knock-on effects in the local community. Look at the taxi driver who was beaten to a pulp in Bangkok just for driving his cab and being blocked by these people. Street action dragged on for long time creates a lot of tensions, causes already existing resentments to boil over and gives license to people who prefer the use of violence. Doesn't matter really what building they camp outside or invade. If they blockaded my condo I'd be livid too.

[tx22cb]

So the PDRC inconvenienced 40 people with their tactics at the school.

If the PDRC are sincerely in an "apologising" mood, can they also apologise to the millions of ordinary citizens/business owners/school children in Bangkok whose lives continue to be disrupted?

[thequietman]

Looks like everybody was forced out in the south.

Shows that non of these protests down there supported with anyconviction.

Suthep says you must march and protest with PDRC.... Thats what they do. Maybe time to cede the South of Thailand before their corruption and violence spread to the rest of the country.

Keep your palm oil and your fish that you catch with slave labour and live under Suthaps Jackboot.

Protesting is one thing, going in drunk, threatening with guns.....

Sheep, they are all sheep.

[Suriya4]

It is just a misunderstanding.

An isolate incident only.

Some leader on the stage even claim that it was faked by Red-Shirts (i.e.not Suthep's men).

Please stop spreading the news to avoid a division of Thai people.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/PDRC-leader-says-mosque-closure-a-misunderstanding-30225056.html

[rwdrwdrwd]

... Maybe time to cede the South of Thailand before their corruption and violence spread to the rest of the country.

Keep your palm oil and your fish that you catch with slave labour and live under Suthaps Jackboot.

I'm sure Thailand would fare fantastically well in terms of tourism without Phuket, Samui and Krabi as well. Sounds like you're simply clueless about industry and commerce in the South, and indeed what constitutes the South.

Incidentally, your choice of topics, tone and phrasing is identical to gerry001 and tragickingdom, Interesting that..

[Suriya4]

... Maybe time to cede the South of Thailand before their corruption and violence spread to the rest of the country.

Keep your palm oil and your fish that you catch with slave labour and live under Suthaps Jackboot.

I'm sure Thailand would fare fantastically well in terms of tourism without Phuket, Samui and Krabi as well. Sounds like you're simply clueless about industry and commerce in the South, and indeed what constitutes the South.

Singapore had in the past express interest of Buying Phuket.

May be it is time.

[Suriya4]

So the PDRC inconvenienced 40 people with their tactics at the school.

If the PDRC are sincerely in an "apologising" mood, can they also apologise to the millions of ordinary citizens/business owners/school children in Bangkok whose lives continue to be disrupted

Minority always have more say than majority.

Else Suthep et al will call it "dictatorship of the majority" which is not acceptable in Bangkok.

[geriatrickid]

Suthep was the point man for the douth in the Democrat administration(s).

The quick retreat should provide a clue to those who still believe that there was ever an honest attempt to stop the insurgency.

Suthep and friends are afraid of the insurgents.

[bigbamboo]

Ah a first, the PDRC taking responsibility for their actions? Or the mob feeling a little insecure... Stupid Stupid Stupid. And so they should apologize. Bunch of drunken hooliganism at its zenith!

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The last thing you want in the current volatile situation is a drunken loose cannon rolling about all over the deck.....

[tx22cb]

It is just a misunderstanding.

An isolate incident only.

Some leader on the stage even claim that it was faked by Red-Shirts (i.e.not Suthep's men).

Please stop spreading the news to avoid a division of Thai people.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/PDRC-leader-says-mosque-closure-a-misunderstanding-30225056.html

Who is this "leader on the stage", and has he/she apologised for the false claim?

"An isolate incident only" - it only takes 1 cartoon to create havoc, or 1 book to elicit a fatwa.

People should learn that some topics are verboten - there are one or two in Thailand itself

[metisdead]

Hate speech posts and religion bashing posts have been removed as well as the replies.

7) Not to post slurs or degrading comments directed towards any group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

[jocko]

Ah a first, the PDRC taking responsibility for their actions? Or the mob feeling a little insecure... Stupid Stupid Stupid. And so they should apologize. Bunch of drunken hooliganism at its zenith!

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE 8.2 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

The last thing you want in the current volatile situation is a drunken loose cannon rolling about all over the deck.....

Given the size of Thailand I can't see how there could be any day to day plan or tactics coming from Bangkok to the satellite protest sites so you end up in some cases with a mob who just use any tactics as they see fit.

[unanimosity]

Any old excuse for the muslim insurgents to strike is a good excuse. In their blood.

I think you mean in their History. You should read up on Tak Bai and Krue Sa Mosque ,Massacres, and then you would know, that its not in their blood, but in their recent History. and not just any old excuse.

Au contraire, it is not recent and it is you that needs the lesson on this and you will get it by simply reading the koran, which precedes the recent events you reference by some 1400 years.

[diehard60]

Oh this is good, suthep and his thugs are messing with the wrong group of people. These people havw the b-lls to do it and to kill of suthep thugs. They are just waithing for the chance and this gave it to them.

[Scamper]

An apology from Suthep is entirely appropriate for this matter. A misunderstanding to be sure, but an apology should be made nonetheless.

[fasteddie]

Any old excuse for the muslim insurgents to strike is a good excuse. In their blood.

And what exactly have the Muslims in Trang got to do with the insurgency?

[simple1]

Any old excuse for the muslim insurgents to strike is a good excuse. In their blood.

I think you mean in their History. You should read up on Tak Bai and Krue Sa Mosque ,Massacres, and then you would know, that its not in their blood, but in their recent History. and not just any old excuse.

Au contraire, it is not recent and it is you that needs the lesson on this and you will get it by simply reading the koran, which precedes the recent events you reference by some 1400 years.

With specific reference to the Muslim relationship between Siam and today's Thailand you and others may like to read the content at the URLs below. Conflicts were due to power/trade disputes, not politicised Islamic theology. Today, radical Islam has a relatively small influence in Thailand, but analysts suggest it is growing as the deep South conflict remains unresolved.

http://www.slideshare.net/ikhwanng/history-and-politics-of-the-muslims-in-thailand

http://www.academia.edu/1474667/Islam_and_Muslims_in_Thailand