Thai PM vows to solve unrest

[gjbkk]

PM vows to solve unrest through peaceful means



(BangkokPost.com) - The government plans to solve southern unrest through peaceful means, Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said Tuesday.


"My policies do not aim at using violence," he said. "If they (insurgents) have a change of heart, we offer them ways. But if they don't, then they will have to live somewhere else."


Mr Samak also said he is happy with the declining number of unrest in the southernmost provinces.

He also said that he would like officials of Interior Ministry to take visit the region more often in order to help security forces to control the situation.

Mr Samak also said he is happy with the declining number of unrest in the southernmost provinces.

Has anyone ever bothered to ask the Muslims in the South of Thailand about their grievances?

Why cant they get a government minister responsible for the region like the Brits did with Northern Ireland

[Norton]

Has anyone ever bothered to ask the Muslims in the South of Thailand about their grievances?

Ignorance is bliss.

[matsalleh]

Has anyone ever bothered to ask the Muslims in the South of Thailand about their grievances?

Ignorance is bliss.

I have been in Pattani and Yala on Saturday when our beloved PM was there. The road from the airport was secured by Army (ever 50 meter a double guard on both sides of the street and additionally a number of Humvees with machine guns mounted and even a few light tanks).
So what the PM has seen was actually nothing, same like Toxin before that went even to sleep in the South with a guard of more than 4,000 police men.

1) Easy to say for Samak that they (that don't like it there) should go away - they were born there, their parents were born there and so were their grand parents.

2) The Sultanate of Pattani (that included Yala and Narathiwat) was exchanged with the British crown about 100 years ago, so the territory was always a sultanate and thus theirs and not Thai.

3) Today the Malay speaking (in fact Kelantan dialect and not Bahasa Maleyu) are looked down and called "Kaek" by the Thais that are in control on nearly every level.

Give them the right to use their own language - give them the right to elect their own mayors for the townships amd accept Yawi (their Malay based language) as an official Thai language and most of them will be happy. Let them live their life style and don't force to many Isaan people on them - as had been done in the past. That will IMO solve the problem soon.

Last but not least get the murder of 15 Muslin footballer's solved!

[EmperorTud]

If they (insurgents) have a change of heart, we offer them ways. But if they don't, then they will have to live somewhere else."

Typical Thai ignorance.

Thailand's claim of sovereignty is the reason there is a civil was in the South.

It is not Thai land!

The Thais continued repression against the indigenous culture, language and religion, as well as the corruption and brutality of the local Police are places to start but it is empty words when everyone knows fine well what the problems are but are reluctant to do anything about them.

It is interesting the problems I highlighted above have all been recommended to be addressed during Thaksin's previous administration but were condemned by Prem and the Privy Council who baulked at the notion of making Malay an official language in the region along with other suggested concessions.

[EmperorTud]

Give them the right to use their own language - give them the right to elect their own mayors for the townships amd accept Yawi (their Malay based language) as an official Thai language and most of them will be happy. Let them live their life style and don't force to many Isaan people on them - as had been done in the past. That will IMO solve the problem soon.

As I mentioned all these were suggestions by an investigative committee during Thaksin's cabinet (which he initiated, much to the chagrin of the anti-Thaksin mob) but were condemned by the Privy Council.

[Whiteshiva]

Give them the right to use their own language - give them the right to elect their own mayors for the townships amd accept Yawi (their Malay based language) as an official Thai language and most of them will be happy. Let them live their life style and don't force to many Isaan people on them - as had been done in the past. That will IMO solve the problem soon.

As I mentioned all these were suggestions by an investigative committee during Thaksin's cabinet (which he initiated, much to the chagrin of the anti-Thaksin mob) but were condemned by the Privy Council.

I believe you refer to the national reconciliation commitee chaired by ex-PM Anand. Anand was a stern critic of the Thaksin administration's policy in the south, and I very much doubt if Thaksin had been willing to follow the NRC's recommendations had be not been ousted in the coup. I believe Thaksin stated that he would implement the NCR suggestions, but at that stage (2006) I don't believe anyone with half a brain took anything the PM said a face value anyway.

Guess we'll never know. A bit of a worry that the Privy council was so recalcitrant, though. Unfortunately Thai law prohibit me from saying what I really think on that matter........

[Norton]

Guess we'll never know. A bit of a worry that the Privy council was so recalcitrant, though. Unfortunately Thai law prohibit me from saying what I really think on that matter........

No need to state the obvious.

[gjbkk]

"My policies do not aim at using violence," he said. "If they (insurgents) have a change of heart, we offer them ways. But if they don't, then they will have to live somewhere else."

Not only is he ignorant but exceptionally arrogant but then I again I am surrounded by similar

[good2bhappy]

under king ramkhamhaeng Thailand was suzerain to the territory all the way to Singapore.

[EmperorTud]

under king ramkhamhaeng Thailand was suzerain to the territory all the way to Singapore.

The Kingdom of Sukothai to which you refer went as far as Nakhon Sri Thammarat.

Ramkhamheng was never Head of State over the whole Malay Peninsula down to Singapore.

I believe the vast majority of it was under suzerainty of the Srivijaya Empire.

[Norton]

^I find this link useful.

WHKMLA : Historical Atlas, Siam / Thailand Page

[Bluecat]

How many trips did Samak make there to solve the situation?
That's very peaceful indeed...

[matsalleh]

under king ramkhamhaeng Thailand was suzerain to the territory all the way to Singapore.

The Kingdom of Sukothai to which you refer went as far as Nakhon Sri Thammarat.

Ramkhamheng was never Head of State over the whole Malay Peninsula down to Singapore.

I believe the vast majority of it was under suzerainty of the Srivijaya Empire.

The Srivijaya Empire went up to Suratthanee (the Chedi in Chaya is proof for that). The whole Malays Peninsula and the lower Pak Tai (Songkhla was Singgura at that time) was Srivijaya.