Buddhists in Thailand's far South told to take extra precautions

[webfact]

SOUTH CRISIS
Buddhists in far South told to take extra precautions
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- THAI BUDDHISTS living in the far South including women and children should beware of possible insurgent violence targeting them, Narathiwat police chief Pol Maj-General Phatthanawut Angkhanawan warned yesterday.

Insurgents have resorted to harming so-called "soft targets" reportedly in revenge for the recent fatal shooting of three young sons of a former insurgent who cooperated with state authorities, he said.

"The case has not been solved, so within the next one or two months Thai Buddhists, including women and children, should exercise extra caution, especially during their travels," he said.

Officials said the family of former operative Jehmu Maman had been targeted because he had provided inside details about the insurgency. But insurgents have claimed that security officials were involved in the attack, which also wounded his pregnant wife.

Phatthanawut said the probe into the shooting was underway and more evidence was needed before arrest warrants could be obtained for suspects.

He said insurgents had been spreading rumours that the shooting had something to do with security officials, and partly also with Thai Buddhists.

"As Jehmu's sons and wife were harmed, it is not much beyond anticipation that revenge would be taken against Thai Buddhists including women and children," he said.

The Southern Border Province Administration Centre's initial finding was that the shooting was based on personal conflicts Jehmu had with unidentified assailants, who dressed as security officials on the night of February 3.

The police centre for coordination of operations in the far South said yesterday evidence was being compiled to complete the probe into the cause of the shooting.

Centre director Pol Lt-General Yongyuth Charoenwanich deplored both the February 3 shooting and subsequent violence supposedly avenging the killings, which he said was conducted by the same group of people.


-- The Nation 2014-02-17

[chooka]

These people just don't seem to get along with anyone anywhere in the world.

[simple1]

These people just don't seem to get along with anyone anywhere in the world.

The Thai government has for years made minimal effort to proactively address legitimate grievances of the Thai Muslim population in the deep South. Nor have they ever bought to account those who have committed significant human rights abuses by security forces, it’s not a one sided issue.

There is no justification or excuse to murder civilians.

[noitom]

Based on this news story, it appears that Thai officials are warning Thai Buddhists against Muslim insurgent rebels/revolutionaries. The nature of this news story implies a religious war. Is this actually a serious warning by the Thai police? Scary thought unless reported incorrectly in the Thai press.

[phuketrichard]

Seems if ur trying to make a statement hit them harder. That will do one of two things.
1. bring the full wrath of the government down on them, ( they will be forced too)
2. cause them to pull out ( which we know wont happen
This constant 1-3 killings /day accomplishes nothing and just alienates the local population and desensitizes their cause.

[Tomtomtom69]

Seems if ur trying to make a statement hit them harder. That will do one of two things.

1. bring the full wrath of the government down on them, ( they will be forced too)

2. cause them to pull out ( which we know wont happen

This constant 1-3 killings /day accomplishes nothing and just alienates the local population and desensitizes their cause.

Exactly.

[h90]

These people just don't seem to get along with anyone anywhere in the world.

The Thai government has for years made minimal effort to proactively address legitimate grievances of the Thai Muslim population in the deep South. Nor have they ever bought to account those who have committed significant human rights abuses by security forces, it’s not a one sided issue.

There is no justification or excuse to murder civilians.

No the government under Thaksin made proactively things worse....by canceling some independent bodies.

Than Tak Bai and Thaksins comment that they only died because of the Ramadan.....

+ a lot other insults...

+ he insulted Malaysia at every opportunity. So while they don't like the radicals the government never saw a reason to be particular helpful.

Surayud tried to improve the situation but than again Thaksins Family come into power....

I guess if the government/army/police would make everything perfect it would need a generation to heal the wounds.

[h90]

Seems if ur trying to make a statement hit them harder. That will do one of two things.

1. bring the full wrath of the government down on them, ( they will be forced too)

2. cause them to pull out ( which we know wont happen

This constant 1-3 killings /day accomplishes nothing and just alienates the local population and desensitizes their cause.

If the government is going harder, they will again kill a lot innocent people, women and children and not even excuse for it.

That will guarantee many new fanatics....and so it goes on....

[geriatrickid]

These people just don't seem to get along with anyone anywhere in the world.

The Thai government has for years made minimal effort to proactively address legitimate grievances of the Thai Muslim population in the deep South. Nor have they ever bought to account those who have committed significant human rights abuses by security forces, it’s not a one sided issue.

There is no justification or excuse to murder civilians.

No the government under Thaksin made proactively things worse....by canceling some independent bodies.

Than Tak Bai and Thaksins comment that they only died because of the Ramadan.....

+ a lot other insults...

+ he insulted Malaysia at every opportunity. So while they don't like the radicals the government never saw a reason to be particular helpful.

Surayud tried to improve the situation but than again Thaksins Family come into power....

I guess if the government/army/police would make everything perfect it would need a generation to heal the wounds.

Insulted Malaysia? Sorry, but the insurgents were using Malaysia as a safe haven and were funneling funds through Malaysia. You forget that Malaysia, despite all of its statements to the contrary still sees the former Sultanates as part of the greater Malaya territory. Malaysia was hardly the most cooperative when it came to stopping the cross border transit of the insurgents.

[sunshine51]

^^^ @ geriatrickid...

The Mal's still harbour insurgents and

crims inside their border today. They

would like the "troubles" to persist

because there's money to be made outta

this....big money. Same for many Thai

"officials"...seemingly in kahoots with

the Mal's. A quick solution which is by

no means an easy task to perform would be

to require the people who freely move

through the border check-points to have

a passport instead of a border pass plus

implement a nationality scheme...ie...if

you're not Thai then you must need a

passport to enter Thailand. If you are

Thai you need a passport to enter Malaysia

& return to Thailand....basically the same

for any foreign traveler anywhere in the

world. No more dual Mal-Thai nationality

entering Thailand/Mal with an ID card or

border pass. Big flaw in this scheme is

that the insurgents & crim's don't use the

proper border check-points....but it's a

start or step in the right direction if the

Thai Gov't takes this action asap.

[deepcell]

It is a pitty!

[ddavidovsky]

There is no justification or excuse to murder civilians.

Vile indeed, but they know that atrocity is the only way to get attention - as the fact we discussing it here now shows.

If the grievances are not addressed, this situation will go on for a long time. Let's suppose they have a justified grievance based on the following:

1. The region wasn't dealt with adequately (in cultural terms) at the tail end of the colonial era.

2. The region is geographically an extremity and the people may well feel alienated from the rest of Thailand.

3. Successive governments have not done enough to integrate the region with the rest of the country socially and economically.

I can see only 3 possibilities:

1. Status quo - at least for the life of the current generation and possible the next until the issues are 'grown out of'.

2. Give the region independence (won't happen)

3. Give the region some autonomy by means of a parliament akin to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

#3 should at least be looked at, but that first involves the difficult task of setting aside past atrocities, and given the face-saving issues involved and the lack of quality statesmen in Thailand that may be impossible to do.

Therefore I assume this situation, and these atrocities, will drag on for another century or so until the nature of life in that part of the world changes organically. Pity.