Posted on 10/18/2005 6:01:40 AM PDT by LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Ties between Malaysia and Thailand soured further this week over mounting unrest in southern Thailand, and the Thai foreign minister said on Tuesday the row needed to be quickly resolved.
The neighbours are both founder members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and have long had friendly relations, but an insurgency by Muslims in southern Thailand, which borders Muslim-majority Malaysia, has become a cause for concern.
More than 900 people have died in 21 months of unrest in the Buddhist kingdom's south. Rebels killed a monk and two teenagers in a temple at the weekend and six other people were killed in other violence.
"We will not teach Thailand how to conduct their foreign policy and I ask them not to tell us how to handle our foreign policy," Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar was quoted as saying by state news agency Bernama on Monday night.
He was speaking after media reports that Bangkok had formally complained about Malaysia's stance over 131 Thai Muslims who crossed into Malaysia in late August seeking refuge from the violence.
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said earlier this month that Malaysia was not returning rebel suspects wanted in Thailand and who had taken refuge across the border.
Thai Foreign Minister Kantathi Supamongkhon said on Tuesday that diplomatic ties had reached a stage that "needs to be resolved".
"We don't want to hit back. We hope they will not use the media in an unconstructive way. We want to see their sincerity," Kantathi told reporters before a weekly cabinet meeting.
Malaysia is concerned about heavy-handed Thai tactics to suppress the violence, fearing instability on its northern border, while Thailand feels Malaysia should do more to prevent Muslim insurgents retreating into Malaysia to escape capture.
The diplomatic row threatens to worsen unless leaders of both countries step in to resolve it, said Abdul Razak Baginda, head of the Malaysian Strategic Research Centre, a local think-tank.
Thaksin and Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi were due to meet in Kuala Lumpur in August but Thaksin called off his trip and sent his deputy because he was unhappy with Malaysia's support in tackling the insurgency.
"At the moment, Thaksin is allowing it to play on, for whatever reasons, playing to the domestic gallery," Abdul Razak said.
The issue involved domestic Thai politics, making diplomacy difficult, he said, but he doubted it would mar the upcoming ASEAN in Kuala Lumpur in December.
Malaysia currently chairs the 10-member group. (Additional reporting by Ed Cropley in Bangkok)
Just before leaving office he made that memorable speech about the Joooos controlling the universe.
Sad, isn't it, how a totally unrelated people to the Arabs as the South-East Asians, do the militant Arab's bidding in such a senselessly destructive manner? It sure throws light on how hazardous exported Islam can be.
Just look at the contrast Thailand is. They have some of the most respectable bunch of free people anywhere on earth. I attest to this statement because I've witnessed first-hand the Thai peoples' determination to succeed in life, with dignity and grace.
ping
Yet another area of the World that they are stinking up, ROP my backside.
In recent years, the government has become more pro-America, or at least normalized, after the corrupted anti-American Suhalt regime has come to an end. Malaysia has dealed with Islamists their own way, and was claimed to be successful by experts. Meanwhile, Thailand has become more tough on Islamists, after attempts to provide a compromise to the local Muslims. The multiple attacks on Buddhists in recent months have changed that, with the government of Thailand to apply a tougher stance against the Muslims.
ping
If a Christian whacko were to commit any of the same kinds of crimes exercised by Muslims on a daily basis, legitimate Christians would call him a kook, a criminal, a despicable murderer, a heretic, and unworthy of the label "Christian".
He would be disowned entirely, from top to bottom. No one would take seriously such a person's self-description as "Christian."
But with Muslim terrorists it's a bit more difficult, because in truth they are doing exactly and precisely what the Koran instructs them to do. It is the "moderates" who are the actual heretics of Islam.
That's because Islam is the Religion Of Satan.
Now now, lets remember our President's words: ISLAM IS A RELIGION ON PEACE.
Just keep repeating this over and over again and you will feel better and better, you will have more friends and less problems.....
1. Thailand's Kashmir.
2. Malaysia exports its jihadis.
3. Saudi encouragement for jihad means more money for Malaysia, mosques, schools, bribes.
So a few Buddhists die.
The only politicially correct way of stemming the power of the ummah is to stop doing business with them (sell to them but dont buy) stiffle them economically. And this has to be done on a personal basis (one can decide where and how to spend their monies). Personally try to use as less fuel as possible, buy new more efficient cars, try bio-diesel for a change (not for environmental reasons). Because without the lure of money (for their families etc..) they can't get the poor impoverished muslims to go and blow themselves up in the name of lord
The only politicially correct way of stemming the power of the ummah is to stop doing business with them (sell to them but dont buy) stiffle them economically. And this has to be done on a personal basis (one can decide where and how to spend their monies). Personally try to use as less fuel as possible, buy new more efficient cars, try bio-diesel for a change (not for environmental reasons). Because without the lure of money (for their families etc..) they can't get the poor impoverished muslims to go and blow themselves up in the name of lord
>stiffle them economically
> a personal basis
That is silly. That's the liberal harebrained equivalent of don't shop on Fridays or something silly like that.
As long as the USA fully supports Jihadi, our support of the Saudis, the jihad rages.
Face it, Pogo was right.
Apologies for the snippy tone of my post.
No problem with the tone, have learned to focus beyond that long time back. Anyways, your'e presuming a sanction/approval from USA is the begin and end all of all events in the world, which to mind is simply not true.
My POV is that Saudi is the biggest ennabler of jihad and as long as they suffer our good graces, protection and arms and oil sales to fund it, we don't have a chance of stopping at least the Salafi jihad of Osama and his ilk.
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