Malaysia, Thailand to clamp down on dual citizens

Malaysia said Friday it had agreed to help Thailand clamp down on dual nationals living along their border, in a bid to quell the separate insurgency there.

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said his meeting Tuesday with Thailand's junta leader, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, went well and that they had agreed to work together.

"He has suggested that we take immediate steps to compare the database of our two departments relating to the problem of dual citizenship," he said.

"We will then take it from there so that eventually we will be able to resolve this problem."

Thailand believes that militants behind the three-year insurgency in the South are abusing dual citizenship to escape across the border with Malaysia after committing attacks.

--The Nation 2006-12-01

[quote name='george' date='2006-12

Malaysia, Thailand to clamp down on dual citizens

Malaysia said Friday it had agreed to help Thailand clamp down on dual nationals living along their border, in a bid to quell the separate insurgency there.

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said his meeting Tuesday with Thailand's junta leader, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, went well and that they had agreed to work together.

"He has suggested that we take immediate steps to compare the database of our two departments relating to the problem of dual citizenship," he said.

"We will then take it from there so that eventually we will be able to resolve this problem."

Thailand believes that militants behind the three-year insurgency in the South are abusing dual citizenship to escape across the border with Malaysia after committing attacks.

--The Nation 2006-12-01

Some helpful definitions:

Believe - to have confidence in the truth, the existence, or the reliability of something, although without absolute proof that one is right in doing so.

Fact - something known to exist or to have happened.

Above, it is stated that Thailand "believes" militants of dual-citizenship are crossing the border with Malaysia. Is there any proof of this actually occuring? Has a militant ever been captured that was holding two passports (or Malaysian ID and Thai ID cards)?

If this clamp down becomes a "crackdown", to the point where Thailand no longer permits dual-citizenship, that could have serious repercusions for many Thai women/men that own property in Thailand, and yet hold citizenship in another country.

It will be interesting to see what happens. But more than likely, nothing will occur. It sure would be nice if the south would be converted into an autonomous region, but under central control from BKK. Something like the Indian Reservations in the US.