Ex-Bersatu leader: economic development – not fighting – is way forward for deep South

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Ex-Bersatu leader: economic development – not fighting – is way forward for deep South
By THE NATION

 

WAN KADIR JEH MAN

 

BANGKOK: -- WAN KADIR JEH MAN, former chairman of the Bersatu insurgency umbrella group, has urged all to join hands in developing the southern border provinces, rather than wasting lives fighting.

 

He also called for the Thai government to hold a peace dialogue in Thailand to truly restore peace in the region. 

In an exclusive interview with NOW26 digital TV station, the 76-year-old Thai-Malay scholar who also represents “those with a different view from Thai state” recalled his decades in the movement and said separatism was obsolete nowadays and violence wouldn’t yield any benefit but wasteful deaths.

WHEN AND HOW DID YOU COME TO JOIN THE MOVEMENT?
I joined in at the age of 19 when I was in Saudi Arabia. There were anti-state organisations and, being from the deep South, it was automatic for us to join such groups ... At first, I didn’t agree as I had not heard much about the movement but I must get along with deep South friends, all of whom were with such groups. 

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30301441

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2016-12-05

[SoFarAndNear]

Anti State Organisations in Saudi Arabia.  Probably more he meant anti-non-muslim organizations.

[impulse]

1 hour ago, SoFarAndNear said:

Anti State Organisations in Saudi Arabia.  Probably more he meant anti-non-muslim organizations.

 

Read the history of the area.  Look at land grabs by the elite all over Thailand- not just the South.  They're tired of being pushed off their ancestral lands and marginalized economically by people with dodgy land documents and thug armies.  Not so much to do with religion. 

 

ISIS and such will do their best to use the situation for their cause, sure.  And the elite will use the Muslim thing to garner support from the west.  But calling it a religious conflict won't solve the real problem- which is theft of land, lack of economic opportunity for the indigenous people, and corruption.

[Stargeezr]

These insurgents  better leave Thailand,  and  this chairman, can lead the way.  They all have to much

blood of the innocent people they have killed. I have to agree  that people have taken land that they

shouldn't have, but  I would like to have expats  and others to remember that most of Thailand

is Buddhist,  and it is not the Buddhist people around the world who are  fighting all over the

place or fleeing from those  who  are fighting.  However  there are a ton of Islamists, who are fighting

and they do not

 deserve to keep killing other Thai people, or the people in other countries as well  just because  the

other people do not believe that Islam is the only religion in the world.

Geeze

[Srikcir]

Wan Kadir was a failed insurgent leader and had opposed the new MARA Patani insurgent umbrella organization that eventually replaced his group as the lead negotiating contact with the Thai government and armed forces.

 

In fact one of Wan Kadir's main supporters at in 2004 was then-Fourth Army commander Lt-General Pisarn Wattanawongkiri.
Pisarn's idea was to use Wan Kadir as his personal consultant (allowing Wan to travel in the South from his home in Malaysia), thence later used by the RTP and the Thai military to criticize Yingluck government's peace process. I believe that this was to shift attention from discrete military's opposition to Yingluck's peace negotiations that bypassed military participation and (in the mind of the military) threatened Thai sovereignty.

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/webmobile/opinion/Junta-going-ahead-with-peace-process-it-helped-und-30268419.html

 

Looks like Wan misses the public limelight. Now that the military controls the government, he may be seeking a role in Prayut's current peace efforts.

[Srikcir]

Just now, Stargrazer9889 said:

These insurgents  better leave Thailand

Ironically that's what they are trying to do as separatists but not in the way you think. Their homeland is the South that was formerly the semi-autonomous 500 hundred-year old Islamic Kingdom of Patanni and thence forceably annexed by the Kingdom of Siam in 1902.

I suggest you look at the history of the Malay-Thais.

[Essaybloke]

At last, a reasoned voice amid the clamour of violence and stupid, useless killing. I wonder how much influence this guy has among contemporary insurgents down there? A damn lot I hope!

[Srikcir]

7 minutes ago, Essaybloke said:

I wonder how much influence this guy has among contemporary insurgents down there?

Zero.

See my post #5.

 

[impulse]

5 hours ago, Srikcir said:

Wan Kadir was a failed insurgent leader and had opposed the new MARA Patani insurgent umbrella organization that eventually replaced his group as the lead negotiating contact with the Thai government and armed forces.

 

In fact one of Wan Kadir's main supporters at in 2004 was then-Fourth Army commander Lt-General Pisarn Wattanawongkiri.
Pisarn's idea was to use Wan Kadir as his personal consultant (allowing Wan to travel in the South from his home in Malaysia), thence later used by the RTP and the Thai military to criticize Yingluck government's peace process. I believe that this was to shift attention from discrete military's opposition to Yingluck's peace negotiations that bypassed military participation and (in the mind of the military) threatened Thai sovereignty.

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/webmobile/opinion/Junta-going-ahead-with-peace-process-it-helped-und-30268419.html

 

Looks like Wan misses the public limelight. Now that the military controls the government, he may be seeking a role in Prayut's current peace efforts.

 

There's one thing I'm sure of when it comes to Asian politics and especially political figures:

 

Absolutely nothing.

 

Whenever I think I understand what's happening and who's who, and which side they're on, it just means one of their spin doctors got to me.  And even if I guessed correctly, the alliances may change tonight while I'm sleeping.

[Eric Loh]

5 hours ago, Srikcir said:

 

Looks like Wan misses the public limelight. Now that the military controls the government, he may be seeking a role in Prayut's current peace efforts.
 

 

He is 79 years old and his contacts and influence with current insurgents groups are zero as you correctly stated. He is living in Malaysia with a Malaysian citizenship; worked many years as a professor in few Malaysian universities and living a middle income lifestyle. He is happy where he is and enjoying his twilight years. Doubt he wants to return to the limelight. 

[Essaybloke]

On 12/5/2016 at 5:15 PM, Srikcir said:

Zero.

See my post #5.

 

Oh OK, got it thanks.