Published: November 10, 2006
Op-Ed Contributor
Crossfire War - Violence Continues and Increases in Southern Thailand
By Willard Payne
Crossfire War - BANGKOK WATCH - Southeast Asia Theatre: Bangkok/ Yala - Pattani - Narathiwat; Independent Jihad - Violence Increases in Southern Thailand
Night Watch: HAT YAI - Xinhua reports that the Provincial Police Commander of this commercial city in Songkhla province is on heightened alert following an increase of attacks in the three provinces Songkhla is adjacent to: Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat. These three provinces in southern Thailand, along the northern border of Malaysia are populated mostly by Muslims who have never had much contact with Bangkok, the capital of Buddhist Thailand. Bangkok took control over this southern region in the late nineteenth century, conquering the independent Islamic state of Pattani. Periodic disturbances and uprisings are not that unusual, the most recent having spent itself during the 1970s-80s. But it was nearly three years ago, January 2004, that Islamic militants began attacking symbols of Thailand's rule with a raid on two army bases and seized rifles and automatic weapons. [
XINHUA]
More than 1,400 people have been killed since the violence began, which seemed to have subsided during the spring. Most of the attacks took the form of bombings and drive by shootings. Investigations by Bangkok actually admitted the problem was in a large way caused by corruption within the country among army units and local politicians. There have even been consistent reports that residents in the three Muslim majority provinces have been working with the Thai government to end the crisis that at times caused serious disputes between Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok throughout all of 2005.
Bangkok stated, in late 2004, it had photographic evidence of Islamic militant training camps in northern Malaysia, Kelantan province, an accusation which shocked Kuala Lumpur. Their surprise has since caused me to wonder if Kuala Lumpur controls everything that goes on in Kelantan and quite possibly they do not. Individual Islamic groups, with some outside support, most likely through Indonesia, could be more involved in assisting the attacks, bypassing Malaysia's government completely. For years the House of Saud has been financing Wahhabi schools in Indonesia. Wahhabism being the most virulent, anti-world school of the Islamic religion, the center of the Jihad mentality. Devoted students of those tenets would have no problem attacking Buddhists or any other non-Islamic people.
On March 10, this year, crossfirewar.com linked to an article by Iranian exiled editor and author Amir Taheri, whose columns appear in the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat. His article for that day was, "Thailand: A New Destination for Professional Jihadist". Taheri had discovered, through his contacts, that mosques from London to Sydney were advocating using southern Thailand as another base to attack non-Islamic people. The response may not have been massive but obviously some have followed the call and are continuing to operate there.
Yesterday's attacks occurred just one day after Thailand's new Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont paid a visit to Yala and pledged fair treatment for those involved in the attacks. During most of this year Bangkok has adopted a policy of a peaceful resolution and acceptance of Muslim citizens instead of trying to solve the southern violence militarily. Unfortunately corruption and outside influences seem to be defeating that effort. With the latest attacks; a drive by shooting in Pattani and eight simultaneous explosions in car and motorcycle showrooms in Yala, the violence shows no sign of ending anytime soon.
One of my articles mentioned earlier this year the attacks could continue indefinitely even long after the war around Tehran has ended. Tehran does not control every Jihad unit.
Night Watch Information Service
http://www.crossfirewar.com
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