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.
As ASA said, in a word, "No."
I haven't been following it closely, and I will not begin just because of the islamonuts actions, but there has been some Thai and Malay muzzie seperatist Chechen-like type terrorism simmering down there for a long time.
Now I suppose the general thinks he'll just take over the government 'to give them a democratic voice.'
Freaking dictatorial whack-a-mole we got going on these days.
It's Hitler all over again. Except this time, the threat isn't one little man but an entire ideology shared by millions. And, just like WW2, the Europeans will not realize the danger they are in until it is too late.
These same groups were causing the same type of trouble back in the 60's.
Then though they were using the cover term "communists" in trying to convince the world they were more wide spread than they were.
They also were trying to garner support from the real commies infiltrating upcountry.
Now I suppose the general thinks he'll just take over the government 'to give them a democratic voice.'
General Sondhi will negotiate in the style of Korben Dallas.
Sondhi is incredibly well respected and didn't get where he is by chance. He started his career in the military fighting alongside US troops in Vietnam. He went on to head the Thai Army's Special Warfare Command. I know many people who have served under him and they have nothing but respect for the guy.A friend of mine who spends a lot of time in Thailand says pretty much the same thing. But he's a "dirty mohammedan mooselimb" and that is enough to condemn him in the eyes of some here.The posts on FR condeming him are laughable. The posters have no idea what in the world they are talking about. If there is anyone in Thailand who can put an end to the troubles in the South of the country, it is him.
Which, of course, is exactly what the Islamofascists want to happen.
-Eric
"I have never known an American ex-pat who didn't profess to hold a deep and accurate understanding of all the subtleties of the culture that he has embraced."
I have also been an expat and couldn't believe the profound ignorance of some of my acquaintances and friends about local matters. But of course many of them were ensconced in the NGO and journalism worlds.
The expats who did know the scoop were those who had the humility to understand that they didn't understand, and who turned to local friends and colleagues to gain a better grasp of the truth.
But he's a "dirty mohammedan mooselimb"By "he" I meant General Sondhi. Not my source.
-Eric
This clown just doesn't get it. There is NO 'talking to them'. They are nothing more than bloodthirsty vermin that need to be eradicated.
The sooner the rest of the world understands this, the better. In the meantime, Islam will do nothing more than spread death, destruction, pain, fear, anguish, and hatred.
Such a lovely 'religion', ain't it?
Hey Killjoy, love that tagline!!
Hey, maybe we found a "moderate" muslim to speak up for the religion of peace and lead the way to peaceful co-existence with us infidels- complete with his own army, of course (he'll need it).
Thanks for your honesty. My brother is doing the ex-pat thing in Beijing. He's a bright, experienced guy and realizes that some differences are too large and complex to be truly grasped. He stopped trying to understand them a while ago and is now focused strictly on enjoying those differences while chasing the gold.
Thank you for your reply. We shall see. I would think that there would be great trepidation about a Muslim army Chief of staff in a country that is 90+ per cent Buddhist. Maybe he can reach across the gulf.
Yes, he's such a reasonable, moderate muslim, the first thing he wants to do is have a dialogue with the terrorist separatists.
The problem with Islam isn't just the "islamofascist" wing. It's the so-called "moderates" who enable and excuse fanaticism.
Where is the voice of moderate Islam? Are there any world figures whose word carries the weight of Osama and Co., or the Iranian mullahs, who are out there ripping and condemning the terrorists? If there are, it sure isn't getting reported, and muslims aren't out in the streets shouting their support of it.
So who the hell wants to hear your assessment of posters here who deride muslims for their widespread support for violence? Especially when you ignore the fact that posters here have questioned this general not merely because he's muslim, but because the first thing he wants to do after his coup is have a dialogue with the terrorists?
Has anyone noticed that this coup took place AFTER John Mark Carr got extradicted??????????
Just waiting for Glenn Beck to tie this in with something else.
The simple fact that in the local news there has been absolutely no criticism of Sondhi being Muslim shows that it is a non-issue. If people were concerned, you would know. The only people making this an issue are journalists outside the country looking for an angle to push.
Dude, bump up the meds, they are wearing off. I LIVE IN THAILAND. I don't need yahoo.com to get my news, I am living it right now. You can spin it however you want, it does not make it true. Sondhi is about as anti-terrorist as you can get. He has no love at all for them.
this is just more WW III breaking out worldwide and it's going to be the world against the muslims.
Sondhi didn't take over the government by himself. Everyone else involved including the head of the Royal Thai Navy, the current #2 in the coup, is Buddhist. The King, the head of Buddhism in Thailand, just gave his approval to what Sondhi is doing. Give me a break. I understand you have an agenda you need to push, but doing in this situation just makes you look like a fool.
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