23 Banks Bombed In South Thailand

[Paulv]

23 Yala banks hit by bomb blasts

Sounds like Canada in the 1960's.

What happened in the end? Two votes for Quebec independence and no more bombs.

(The last vote; 49% for independence, 51% remain in Canada.)

Another vote is on the horizon.

As long as the army classifies dissidents as monkeys and hunts them down, it will continue.

Something to think about:

When the USA goes down, as it surely will, Thailand and the Phillipenes go with it.

Unless there is a realistic "Made in Thailand" policy, you will see the day when Thailand is

an islamic republic.

DONT TALK CRAP

[IMA_FARANG]

what are they hoping to accomplish with this stuff?

Exactly what they wanted, publicity for their cause.

[Jarrod]

The destructive mindset of factions of the Muslim community is very discouraging. No doubt the bulk of them are average everyday people but this only makes the situation more hazardous because it is difficult to detect the militants without disciminating against the rest. I have empathy for anyone who is seemingly marginalised or disenfranchised but there is never any excuse behind indiscriminant bombings. It is cowardly and blatantly appalling. For me, anyone who detonates a device on Thai land is unworthy to stay there and must be treated accordingly.

There is no easy answer to the global problems being perpectuated by extremists (of any persuasion) because they tend to be anti-social and insatiable anyway. More is never enough for them especially when it is fuelled by religious fervour. Tolerance is needed but it is bidirectional and in limited supply.

[Hurricane51]

American's - inventors of the telephone, automobile, airplane, lightbulb, internet, etc.

Muslims - inventors of the suicide bomber...................

I agree with all you say, except that Americans invented the internet, assuming we mean the www. A common misconception. It was a Brit. Credit where it's due.

Telephone ...Alex Bell.....wee jock..

Auto..internal combustion eng...Jimmy Watt..another wee...as in Kilo Watt/Mega Watt-Power

Airplane ...George Carey from an idea from a wee Italian laddie ...Leo da Vinci

Lightbulb...Joe Swan....Lime-ae..

Internet...Tim B.Lee...right...

...Gunpower......Chinese lad...long time ago....

Check your history before making statements like that. Somewhere around 700 BC Arabs developed gold as legal tender, due to their discovery that the purity of gold could be determined with the discovery of the touchstone (in Lydia).

For 1000 years, while most of Europe was scraping out a living, Alexandria was the center of the world, both in commerce and eduction. The knowledge that we have today about Greek anbd Roman scholars exists because of the great library at Alexandria. And most of it was lost when the warring factions expanded from Europe to the Middle East.

The numbering system we use is known as Arabic numerals. Sound familiar?

I'm an American, too, but before you go patting yourself on the back you should see on whose shoulders those American inventors stood upon. No one country has a monopoly on brilliance. And to think one RELIGION is smarter than another -- well I think I'll leave that one entirely alone.

[newworks]

spot on? what do all of the above have in common? nothing!

My point is that the word "Muslim" is bandied around by media and unthinking posters to this topic alike as a way to demonise Islam and identify that particular religion exclusively with terrorism. Yet "terrorists " are to be found in all religions. Get it now?

ummm..... it was the original article in the nation that said "muslim militants". are they wrong?

see above

and if so, does that mean that the religion of islam has had nothing at all to do with any of the violence in the south? is that what you are saying?

Yes, the militants in this case were almost certainly Muslim. The terrorists in Sri Lanka are Hindus but are never referred to in the media as such ....neither are any of those "terrorists" who represent religions other than Islam. You might like to consider why this is

fyi, in a post of mine that the moderator just admitted was mistakenly deleted, i acknowledged specifically that suicide bombing was not invented by muslims. it was the tamil tigers (who are ethnic nationalists) who first used this tactic; muslim terrorists have merely perfected it. and the catholic IRA (who are also nationalists; not religious extremists) certainly did plenty of bombing in its heyday.

but as for your above contention that muslims as a religion are singled out as terrorists unfairly, i have considered it carefully, and come to the conclusion that, well, it must be because so many muslim extremists (NOT NECESSARILY ALL MUSLIMS!!!) in so many countries kill in the name of their religion! how can you possibly argue that this is not true?

if your contention is that the troubles in the south are not related to radical islam at all, then i would like to know what all the killing of monks is for?

if this post gets deleted for being defamatory, then i simply give up.

[Steph1012]

There is no easy answer to the global problems being perpectuated by extremists (of any persuasion) because they tend to be anti-social and insatiable anyway. More is never enough for them especially when it is fuelled by religious fervour. Tolerance is needed but it is bidirectional and in limited supply.

Nice quote. The same was suggested about the IRA all those years ago. A lot of the people involved would have been involved in crime of one sort or another anyway. This was proved the case after peace started breaking out. Factions split off, banks were robbed, people were beatenn to death in pubs, guerillas trained in south america etc.

Tolerence seems to be a one way street in the direction of the Muslims.

No easy answer but would rather see them kill each other than have them kill Thai citizens. Let em sort themselves out.

[fruittbatt]

Check your history before making statements like that. Somewhere around 700 BC Arabs developed gold as legal tender, due to their discovery that the purity of gold could be determined with the discovery of the touchstone (in Lydia).

For 1000 years, while most of Europe was scraping out a living, Alexandria was the center of the world, both in commerce and eduction. The knowledge that we have today about Greek anbd Roman scholars exists because of the great library at Alexandria. And most of it was lost when the warring factions expanded from Europe to the Middle East.

The numbering system we use is known as Arabic numerals. Sound familiar?

I'm an American, too, but before you go patting yourself on the back you should see on whose shoulders those American inventors stood upon. No one country has a monopoly on brilliance. And to think one RELIGION is smarter than another -- well I think I'll leave that one entirely alone.

And the first university in Europe was established by Moorish scholars in the Middle Ages

[lopburi3]

For those not aware aggressive posting of any kind is not allowed. Keep posts civil and we can discuss most things - but when it gets out of line actions will be taken. And actions taken by moderators are not an item for forum discussion.

[IMA_FARANG]

what are they hoping to accomplish with this stuff?

Exactly what they wanted, publicity for their cause.

Let's see if I can get a comment in before I get "bumped". I am writing this on a computer that is monitored by an admisnistrator. Seems he feels that anyone on a Thai forum must be writing something offensive. Thailand you know, there all perverts over there. I keep getting bumped about every 5 minutes or so.

Anyhow, what I wanted to say was that the BBC World service had a series on the Muslim seperatists down south. The reporter interviewed several of the leaders. She was the BBC reporter assigned to Bangkok. What struck me was how reasonable the leaders seem to be. Of course, you have to understand that they are committed to a seperate Muslim state and culture. But if you get past that, they seem to rather moderate in their views.

Not what you would expect from the way the Thai government would portray them. Definately not what my Thai girlfriend would say about them.

The leaders and the insurgency is definately controlled from Malaysia. It is based in those Malaysian Muslim areas where Sharia law is becoming the norm.

Edited August 31, 2006 by IMA_FARANG

[Plus]

It's very easy to convince locals there that they live under occupation, and are brutally suppressed by Thais. You don't even need brainwashing, just open your eyes and ask yourself a few questions.

Consider that they can't speak their own language when they go to the banks or government offices, and teachers won't teach their language at schools, too.

Consider that the number of disappeared people is probably in hundreds by now. It doesn't make headlines, but families and communities know who has been taken, and they all blame the army and the police.

Consider that 131 refugees now in Malaysia left because they are convinced their headman was killed by police.

Consider that the ugly Tangyonlimo (sp) incindent started when the villagers thought they caught Thai "hitsquad" after the killings that are always blamed on muslims.

Consider that there's a widepsread belief that these "hit squads" exist, are run by Thais, and they are behind a lot of violence that goes on.

Consider that Thai army and police are viewed as the real murderers there, not as protectors. They've got reputation.

There's a low intencity war going on there, tit for tat.

[will2go]

Apparently you don't know much about the history of the region! These people have little in common with the Thai people historically, culturally, liguistically etc. The land was ceded to Thailand in 1902. They feel more ties with Malaysia but feel abandoned by them too.

Therefore your simplistic observations that boil down to nothing but an anti-muslim rant just don't make sense!

There is no easy solution to this issue which makes me sad!

The other thing that is bothering me is that the few folks that are doing this are getting more organized and ramping things up pretty quickly

_____________________________________________________

HAH! One must strive a bit harder to avoid becoming a pedantic twit - don't allow your "history of the region" to cloud your vision to the cold, hard facts of the issue at hand. It is the chronically submissive adherents of the islamic faith standing gutlessly by as its present day radical "leaders" twist koranic verses to further their anti-"infidel" objectives around the world that one will consistently find at the root of such episodes.

These representatives of islam use the highest of callings - "martyrdom" (plus an incentives package that incs. a platoon of virgins) - to dupe an infinite resource of mindless drones into carrying out the lowliest of crimes. When one speaks of religiously-sanctioned wholesale murder of innocents, the mute adherents of islam and their witless "martyrs" have no rivals in this day and age.

[newworks]

It's very easy to convince locals there that they live under occupation, and are brutally suppressed by Thais. You don't even need brainwashing, just open your eyes and ask yourself a few questions.

Consider that they can't speak their own language when they go to the banks or government offices, and teachers won't teach their language at schools, too.

Consider that the number of disappeared people is probably in hundreds by now. It doesn't make headlines, but families and communities know who has been taken, and they all blame the army and the police.

Consider that 131 refugees now in Malaysia left because they are convinced their headman was killed by police.

Consider that the ugly Tangyonlimo (sp) incindent started when the villagers thought they caught Thai "hitsquad" after the killings that are always blamed on muslims.

Consider that there's a widepsread belief that these "hit squads" exist, are run by Thais, and they are behind a lot of violence that goes on.

Consider that Thai army and police are viewed as the real murderers there, not as protectors. They've got reputation.

There's a low intencity war going on there, tit for tat.

good info, plus. more, please, if you have it...

[fruittbatt]

It's very easy to convince locals there that they live under occupation, and are brutally suppressed by Thais. You don't even need brainwashing, just open your eyes and ask yourself a few questions.

Consider that they can't speak their own language when they go to the banks or government offices, and teachers won't teach their language at schools, too.

Consider that the number of disappeared people is probably in hundreds by now. It doesn't make headlines, but families and communities know who has been taken, and they all blame the army and the police.

Consider that 131 refugees now in Malaysia left because they are convinced their headman was killed by police.

Consider that the ugly Tangyonlimo (sp) incindent started when the villagers thought they caught Thai "hitsquad" after the killings that are always blamed on muslims.

Consider that there's a widepsread belief that these "hit squads" exist, are run by Thais, and they are behind a lot of violence that goes on.

Consider that Thai army and police are viewed as the real murderers there, not as protectors. They've got reputation.

There's a low intencity war going on there, tit for tat.

Thanks Plus, for some grassroots info and sane perspective

[bdenner]

Wouldn't the world be a whole lot more peaceful without the Islam religion. As inoffensive as the religion is supposed to be it's followers seem to contradict it at every opportunity.

Shame on you and your mentality

Think positive, be positive

Jee golly gosh, from what twilight zone do some of you come from. I can be as positive as I like but it's not going to stitch me up if I survive a bomb attack. Spare me days

[fruittbatt]

The polarised opinions on this thread and the intolerance of the ranters for reasoned alternative views makes me aware of the dangerous levels of hatred and intolerance which continue to haunt this finite and vulnerable planet.

Will we continue to shout hateful messages at each other as global warming and rising seas cut our beloved host country in two - literally?

Surely the challenge of this forum is to understand and respect each others views and to learn new information which might just modify our own perspectives...Islamophobia haunts the West but it is mainly a media construction of the state of the world ---a virtual view of reality.

The real challenges lie in developing mutual understanding and respect, & in granting equality to minorities and working out how democracies can achieve this extraordinarily difficult goal.

[baboon]

How about this: Allow the area to become a seperate nation after a period of 1 year. In the meantime, relocate those citizens who wish to remain Thai, and encourage the citizens of the new republic to hand in their hated Thai papers.

Advise the provisional Government to start building new infrastructure [power stations, telephone system, healthcare etc.] and make it plain that on D Day the plug will be pulled, ready or not.

Introduce strict border controls between the 2 states with draconion visa regulations, even use a wall if need be, and then see what happens as it starts to sink in that come He l or high water, Bangkok will no longer be there to pull their chestnuts out of the fire.

Just a thought.Hope I have not been too offensive on this sensetive issue.

[fruittbatt]

How about this: Allow the area to become a seperate nation after a period of 1 year. In the meantime, relocate those citizens who wish to remain Thai, and encourage the citizens of the new republic to hand in their hated Thai papers.

Advise the provisional Government to start building new infrastructure [power stations, telephone system, healthcare etc.] and make it plain that on D Day the plug will be pulled, ready or not.

Introduce strict border controls between the 2 states with draconion visa regulations, even use a wall if need be, and then see what happens as it starts to sink in that come He l or high water, Bangkok will no longer be there to pull their chestnuts out of the fire.

Just a thought.Hope I have not been too offensive on this sensetive issue.

Baboon, we are not able to make policy. we are guests of the Thai kingdom, but you could make your suggestion known to your local representative after the next election.

Edited August 31, 2006 by fruittbatt

[Plus]

Left on their own they might easily fall prey to some really dangerous types, like Chechnya was overrun by Wahhabits after Russians pulled out in the 90s.

If not, they'll probably will live simply off the land, trading rubber with Thais in exchange for stuff they can't get cheap from Malaysia.

It won't be a center of civilisation, it won't have the biggest airport in the world, it won't even be a hub of anything, but they will probably survive just fine. Look to neighbouring Kelantan for clues - just a simple, agricultural society.

[OzMan_Bkk]

Correct me if I am wrong but isn't this time of year something special in Malaysia ? Is there some connection between celebrations across the border and bombs in banks in Thailand ? Just curious........

[BlackJack]

Wouldn't the world be a whole lot more peaceful without the Islam religion. As inoffensive as the religion is supposed to be it's followers seem to contradict it at every opportunity.

there are strong political and economic issues at stake here. I sincerely hope this thread will not degenerate into another occasion for untramelled and unintelligent Islamophobia

read it again dear

Muslim militants launched 23 coordinated time bomb attacks

It is about Islam and making an Islamic region in the south of Thailand

Its about scaring the daylights out of law abiding citizens so that they leave and then the land be inhabited by Islamic extremist

It needs to be discussed / actioned for what it is and without all the PC nonsense

otherwise we will all be as useless as the United Nations

[booma]

Emptying the schools of their students doesn't seem very wise to me, considering the attackers were disguised as students, this would surely help the attackers blend in and aid escape or help further attacks etc..

B

[Pakboong]

It would be really unfortunate if the only constant in this matter would be our mass reaction to Islam. For the record, I am Christian.

[PeaceBlondie]

In deleting posts and restoring one to this topic, I accidentally took it offline for about ten minutes. Sorry about that. As people log back onto this topic, please keep the forum rules in mind.

[PeaceBlondie]

In deleting posts and restoring one to this topic, I accidentally took it offline for about ten minutes. Sorry about that. As people log back onto this topic, please keep the forum rules in mind.

I see mine was removed. Must be something in the rules about telling the truth.

No. If you think the rules are wrong, send the rule to a moderator or admin and explain why you think so. I believe a moderator has already sent you an explanation of why your post was offensive (to all religions).

[dog412]

How about this: Allow the area to become a seperate nation after a period of 1 year. In the meantime, relocate those citizens who wish to remain Thai, and encourage the citizens of the new republic to hand in their hated Thai papers.

Advise the provisional Government to start building new infrastructure [power stations, telephone system, healthcare etc.] and make it plain that on D Day the plug will be pulled, ready or not.

Introduce strict border controls between the 2 states with draconion visa regulations, even use a wall if need be, and then see what happens as it starts to sink in that come He l or high water, Bangkok will no longer be there to pull their chestnuts out of the fire.

Just a thought.Hope I have not been too offensive on this sensetive issue.

Baboon, we are not able to make policy. we are guests of the Thai kingdom, but you could make your suggestion known to your local representative after the next election.

agreed, this is thailand. pls. tell the south.

[ace]

It would be really unfortunate if the only constant in this matter would be our mass reaction to Islam. For the record, I am Christian.

Lucky for you Thailand is not Islamic:

"In March 2006, Abdul Rahman, an Afghan who converted to Christianity, was charged with apostasy because, in a custody dispute, his wife had reported him to the authorities as a Christian. Had he been found guilty, according to the Hanafi school of jurisprudence (which is the form of Sharia in Afghanistan), Rahman would have had three days in which to recant; if he maintained his Christian beliefs, he would have been executed. But after enormous international pressure the judge dismissed his case on the ground that Rahman may have been mentally unstable, and under the procedural rules of Sharia, one cannot be convicted of a Hadd offense—the crimes for which God has affixed a set penalty (adultery, fornication, false charge of adultery, drinking wine, apostasy, theft, and robbery)—unless he is mentally competent. Rahman is now safe in Italy, albeit with his identity hidden for fear of assassination.

This was a quick and easy way out of the problem, because everyone knew that once he was released in Afghanistan, Rahman would have been murdered, likely by his family, and under Islamic law there is no liability for killing an apostate. Knowing this, the Afghan parliament protested Italy’s granting asylum to Rahman, thus robbing the people of Afghanistan of their opportunity for vigilante justice. Abdul Raoulf, a moderate member of the Ulama (legal fraternity), who himself had suffered persecution under the Taliban, said “We will call on the people to pull him into pieces so there’s nothing left.” Another top religious leader stated, “We must set an example, he must be hanged.”[1] Ordinary Afghans agreed. To them, a conversion to Christianity was an affront that had to be avenged. One of Rahman’s neighbors said “There is no way we’re going to allow an Afghan to insult us by becoming Christian.”[2] One resident of Kabul stated, “According to Islamic law, he should be sentenced to death because Christianity is forbidden in our land.”[3]

"

nice chaps.

[baboon]

How about this: Allow the area to become a seperate nation after a period of 1 year. In the meantime, relocate those citizens who wish to remain Thai, and encourage the citizens of the new republic to hand in their hated Thai papers.

Advise the provisional Government to start building new infrastructure [power stations, telephone system, healthcare etc.] and make it plain that on D Day the plug will be pulled, ready or not.

Introduce strict border controls between the 2 states with draconion visa regulations, even use a wall if need be, and then see what happens as it starts to sink in that come He l or high water, Bangkok will no longer be there to pull their chestnuts out of the fire.

Just a thought.Hope I have not been too offensive on this sensetive issue.

Baboon, we are not able to make policy. we are guests of the Thai kingdom, but you could make your suggestion known to your local representative after the next election.

agreed, this is thailand. pls. tell the south.

[/quote

Call my ideas crap by all means, but at least lace your criticism with constructve ideas of your own, rather than lurking in the shadows, knocking down others.

[keithbooth]

I've said this before - if they want their own independent state, let them have it. Let them then provide their own water and electricity and oil supplies, their own buses and trains and airport and airline, their own tax system, their own education system, their own postal system, their own food supply system, setting up their own radio and tv stations. And let them try trading independently with the rest of the world.

Go ahead. A little like Zimbabwe tried to do, running the farms themselves (ie one race only). See how long they last.

you make good points, but would it really be practical?

And, if Islam is supposed to be such a peace-loving religion (which might make it unique), why is there so little condemnation of these quasi-terrorists from their religious leaders?

yes! why??? i have my own opinion, but i fear that if i air it here i will be accused of muslim-bashing.

[fruittbatt]

Wouldn't the world be a whole lot more peaceful without the Islam religion. As inoffensive as the religion is supposed to be it's followers seem to contradict it at every opportunity.

there are strong political and economic issues at stake here. I sincerely hope this thread will not degenerate into another occasion for untramelled and unintelligent Islamophobia

read it again dear

Muslim militants launched 23 coordinated time bomb attacks

It is about Islam and making an Islamic region in the south of Thailand

Its about scaring the daylights out of law abiding citizens so that they leave and then the land be inhabited by Islamic extremist

It needs to be discussed / actioned for what it is and without all the PC nonsense

otherwise we will all be as useless as the United Nations

no sane person condones the actions of militant extremists who bomb, kill, booby-trap, mine, shoot innocent civilians. It is not "PC" to refuse to brand people according to their religious beliefs.... If every terrorist was labelled according to their religious beliefs the howls of protest from Christians and Hindus and Buddhists and Jews would be long and loud....and equally justified. See Plus's post for a good summary of some of the political and economic reasons for disaffection in the south.

I agree with you that there is very likely some inspiration from jihadists at work here. This does not mean that there is a "global Islamic threat" as many simple-minded dupes of media propaganda so readily believe every time a bomb goes off. Look at the scale of these attacks...well organised locally but hardly on the scale of the bombing of Iraq, now is it? This is not to dismiss the real and tragic consequences for the families of the dead.

[keithbooth]

Wouldn't the world be a whole lot more peaceful without the Islam religion. As inoffensive as the religion is supposed to be it's followers seem to contradict it at every opportunity.

there are strong political and economic issues at stake here. I sincerely hope this thread will not degenerate into another occasion for untramelled and unintelligent Islamophobia

read it again dear

Muslim militants launched 23 coordinated time bomb attacks

It is about Islam and making an Islamic region in the south of Thailand

Its about scaring the daylights out of law abiding citizens so that they leave and then the land be inhabited by Islamic extremist

It needs to be discussed / actioned for what it is and without all the PC nonsense

otherwise we will all be as useless as the United Nations

Islamaphobia. YOU BET ! ! ! a PERSON DOESN'T WANT TO GENERALIZE ABOUT A CERTAIN GRUOP AND LUMP A FEW BAD APPLES ACTIONS IN WITH THE GENERAL POPULATION OF THAT GROUP.

HOWEVER, THIS GROUP IT SEEMS HAS NO REGRET OR SHAME ABOUT WHAT HARM IS BROUGHT TO OTHERS.

I HAVE SEEN THE THAI POLCE IN ACTION. MOST THAI MEN ARE PASSIVE GOOD PEOPLE. BUT I HAVE SEEN THAI POLICE IN ACTION, ONCE PROVOKED OR REQUIRED TO DO A JOB, NO ONE IS MORE SERIOUS OR DANGEROUS THAN A THAI SOLDIER OR POLICEMEN.

SOI HOPE THE GOVERNMENT USES THIS FEIRCE FIGHTING SPIRIT AND DETERMINATION TO PUT DOWN AND STOP ANY MOVEMENT IN ITS TRACKS.

I HAVE ONE VERY DEAR MID-EAST MUSLIM FREIND, AND I WOULD TRUST HIM WITH MY LIFE MY MONEY ETC... BUT EVERY OTHER ARAB I HAVE MET, I DON'T TRUST -DON'T CARE FOR, AND CAN SEE THEY WOULD NOT STAND UP FOR ME IN A BAD SITUATION WITH OTHER ARABS/MUSLIMS.

THIS GEORGE BUSH GUY HAS MADE ALOT OF MISTAKES, BUT I HOPE HE F----ING CRUSHES THE ISLAMIST FASCHIST THAT NOW THREATEN NEARLY EVERY COUNTRY AND THE ENTIRE WORLD