I pray that you are right, but I wouldn't be too confident of that! Hitler was respected as well!
This is what concerns me...“It is necessary to talk to make lasting peace,”
No... You don't talk, negotiate or concede to terrorists!
Posted on 09/20/2006 3:54:59 AM PDT by excludethis
Thailand must negotiate with leaders of an ethnic Malay Muslim separatist insurgency if it wants to end bloodshed in its troubled Muslim-majority southern provinces, the country’s army chief said on Friday.
General Sondhi Boonyaratkalin said the violence, which has claimed more than 1,500 lives, would not be quelled if authorities only arrested the foot-soldiers of the militancy, but refused to talk to its instigators. “It is necessary to talk to make lasting peace,” Gen Sondhi, the first Muslim to head the Thai army, told Thai journalists on Friday.
ADVERTISEMENT The appeal for talks with insurgents came a day after bombs in 22 banks across the province of Yala exploded almost simultaneously, killing a retired official, and injuring 28 people.
The highly co-ordinated attacks on the banks, including two state-owned Islamic banks, demonstrated the militants’ rising technical capacity, and their willingness to strike at the foundations of the economy of the region, an ethnic Malay Muslim-majority enclave in Buddhist-majority Thailand.
“Nothing is spared,” said Sunai Phasuk, a political analyst with Human Rights Watch. “So far, they have targeted administrative structures, security forces, law enforcement, educational structures, and cultural structures, like Buddhist monks. Now they attack the economic structure, which means nothing put in place by the Thai state is accepted.”
Since the renewed flare-up in January 2004 of a decades-old separatist insurgency, Thaksin Shinawatra, the prime minister, has promised to shower the troubled region with money to accelerate economic growth, while also imposing a state of emergency that allows security forces to use harsh measures to crack down on suspected militants.
Mr Thaksin has, in public, staunchly refused to engage in negotiations to end the long-standing conflict, which has at its roots resistance by ethnic Malay Muslims against forcible assimilation into the Thai state, and resentment at discrimination against them in jobs and education.
Yet behind the scenes, some Thai officials have been quietly engaging over the last year with “certain individuals” – including prominent southern Thai Muslims in political exile – who are seen as potentially able to influence the insurgents.
“The army has been trying to talk with the intellectual leaders of the militant groups,” Mr Sunai said.
However, Mr Sunai said negotiations still faced formidable obstacles, including ensuring that those southern Thai Muslims in contact with officials could actually exert influence on the ground.
Anyone, no let me rephrase that, ANYONE who thinks that dialogue with people who want to destroy you is reasoned, has proven who the fool is.
I would bemost gratified to see a thoughtful commentary on the coup and its ramifications from you. What Americans see are the the superficial aspects of it as reported by APNYTCBS and interpreted through the filters of the current War. My experience is Viet Nam and I have not paid much attention to Thailand since Anna was there with King Yul.
High volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. also
2006israelwar or WOT
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This is the end of the Buddhists in Thailand. Buddhists are too complacent to defend themselves.
They learn fast and will not take any pressure from the dark side. Great military with a tough job.
Omigosh. Is this coup really a Muslim takeover?
I pray that you are right, but I wouldn't be too confident of that! Hitler was respected as well!
This is what concerns me...“It is necessary to talk to make lasting peace,”
No... You don't talk, negotiate or concede to terrorists!
Same old MO.
The king just gave a ringing endorsement to the Muslim General.
In fact, they have the longest-serving monarch in the world. The current king just celebrated his 60th anniversary in power--I believe he's in his late 70s.
}:-)4
Umm... no. Trying reading a bit of background and get back to me.
The general is Thai and part of the system. Do not accept such a pronouncement at such a critical time at face value. Wait until it has developed. His words are part of the ongoing action and are a tactic, not necessarily a summation.
Please go back and read some of my previous posts. Basically, the coup was needed and welcomed by everyone I know. The government has been at a deadlock for the past 6 months and unfortunately this was needed to get past it. The bloodless nature of what has happened reinforces this. The King has already given his endorcement to what has happened and they are already saying a interm civilian government will be in place within two weeks. It is a win situation for everyone except the former prime minister.
So does Great Britain....
This aspect means little to my point.
For the heck of it, I googled the words Iran and Thailand. Here are some of the results.././.
TEHRAN (MarketWatch) -- Iran and Thailand have reached a preliminary agreement on the export of 3 million tons of liquefied natural gas to the southeast Asian country beginning in 2011, Iranian state-run radio reported Saturday -----------------------------------------------------------
---------------------- Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki in Bangkok on Saturday held talks with members of Iran-Thailand Commerce Council. Mottaki also attended a meeting of Thai businessmen and entrepreneurs and responded to their questions about Iranian trade p... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feb 24, 2006 Iran`s FM underlines parliamentary relations with Thailand
Iran`s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said in Bangkok Friday that Iran-Thailand Parliamentary Friendship Group could play a key role in expanding cooperation. There are scores of potentials in the energy sector that could help develop b... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feb 24, 2006 Thai official calls for bolstering Tehran-Bangkok relations
Thailand Deputy Premier Chitachai Wannasathit termed as positive the growing relations between Iran and Thailand, calling for all-out expansion of bilateral ties. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Iran-Thailand-Commerce Thailand will become one of Iran's major partners in the petroleum industry within the next decade in view of its rapid progress towards industrialization, observed Iran's Ambassador in Bangkok Mohsen Pak-Aieen.
Speaking in a meeting with members of Iran-Thailand Trade Commission, Pak-Aieen described the Thai energy minister's recent visit to Iran and the inauguration of that country's oil company office in Tehran as signs of the two countries' strategic look at cooperation in the oil sector.
Pointing out to 16.17 percent rise in the volume of bilateral trade in first five months of 2006, he termed the perspective for future commercial ties between the two countries as bright.
He said that trade between Iran and Thailand in first five months of 2006 amounted to dlrs 209 million showing an increase of 16.17 percent from the figure for the same period in 2005 which was dlrs 180.1 million.
He noted that in recent years, Thai private sector had shown increasing interest in trade with Iran as well as joint investments in its free trade zones.
The ambassador added that due to growing cooperation in business and tourism, Iran's Mahan Airlines has established daily direct flights between Tehran and Bangkok offering more facilities for Iranian travelers and tourists.
He welcomed the upcoming visit of members of Iran-Thailand Trade Commission to Tehran in September and expressed his support for expanding cooperation between the chambers of commerce of the two countries. ========================================================================================
Iran Calls for Restoration of Calm in Thailand
TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Tehran on Wednesday called for the immediate restoration of calm and order in Thailand, while it stressed its respect for the national sovereignty of that country. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, minister responsible for foreign affairs and representative of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said in the meeting, yesterday, on the sidelines of the meeting, met and held talks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Tanzanian President Jakaya Mirsho Kikwete and Baldwin Spencer, premier of Antigua and Barbuda. During the meetings Alawi conveyed greetings of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to the leaders and discussed a number of international issues of common concern. Alawi also met and held talks with Sara Kirat Satirati, deputy prime minister of Thailand; Marta Luma, Cuban minister of external investment and economic cooperation, and the Cuban foreign trade minister.
The next NAM summit will be held in 2009 in Egypt, Raul Castro said. — AFP, ONA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ISNA - Tehran Service: Cultural Heritage
TEHRAN, August 23 (ISNA)-A Thai tourism journalist group has entered Iran so to produce a film on Iran's attractions.
This 7 member group which has come from one of Thailand's biggest television stations called "San Lihe" will stay in Iran for 19 days.
In their 19 day visit this group will visit Tehran, Rasht, Anzali, Gorgan, Shiraz, Yazd, Naein, Isfahan and Kashan.
End Item ========================================================================================
THAILAND IS CONSIDERED AS A SANCTUARY FOR FOREIGN CRIMINALS
It was disclosed that foreign criminals from Iran, Iraq, Columbia, Pakistan, Europe and other countries are using Pattaya and other locations in Thailand as a convenient hiding place for their whereabouts and activities. ========================================================================================
I don't know what these changes will mean, but when the first words out to the public are that closer ties with Muslin terrorists are in the offing, then I tend to be suspicious indeed.
After the conquest in 1975 the Communists shut down the Buddhist Temples in Viet Nam and declared the nation to be henceoforth exclusively Atheist. The Buddhists almost all just quit, went home and poured tea. The bright new People's Republic almost collapsed before it got going at all. Nothing was getting done and the VCs themselves were facing starvaton. Buddhism was quickly reinstated as being historically an inseparable part of the Nation and the temples were re-opened. It has taken until this past year for the Catholics to attain the level of noninterference that the Buddhists got right off as the Catholics are only 10% of the population at most. I wouldn't blow off the Buddhists for their their reputation for pacifism.
Just as long as I'm not as stupid as you I'll accept that prize you Dummie.
Is it possible this is an Islamic revolution in disguise?
There's already too much "talking" going on these days.
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