Malaysian PM readies for visit to deep South

Autonomy is an Alternative Choice /Autonomi Mungkin Satu Pilihan Buat Selatan Thailand - Najib : 26/10/2009

HUA HIN : Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak will visit Bangkok in early December before joining Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on a tour of the three southernmost provinces.

He [Mr Abhisit] has invited me to go to the South. It will be very interesting and probably will give me an opportunity to talk to the leaders in the South ... [and] examine the situation on the ground," Mr Najib told the Bangkok Post yesterday.

Malaysia will continue to support Thailand in any way it can "in a transparent manner", he said.

Asked how he viewed the situation in Thailand's South from a security and defence perspective, the Malaysian leader said: "It is somewhat less tense or even less violent now. I think a couple of years ago it was at a peak.

"Now the number of incidents have gone down, although it is still very serious."

Malaysia would like to see "a real positive" resolution of the problem, Mr Najib said, adding the difficulties were not insurmountable if there was proper engagement with the people.

A resolution of the violence and extremism can occur if the Thai government engages with "the right people" and acknowledges that it can and should address legitimate grievances.

However, if the demands on the Thai government go beyond these grievances - such as demands for independence or secession - then "that is totally out of the question. It must be within the Thai constitution," he said. A lasting resolution is a question of trust - "trust and, eventually, winning the hearts and minds of the people in the South".

"If you can develop their trust and they feel that the government is genuinely concerned about their interests and their plight, then I think you will see the situation improving. Once the majority of the people are with you, then you can eliminate the extremists.

"Religion is a very integral part of the society of the three southernmost provinces. They are deeply committed to their way of life and religion is the mainstay of their way of life.

"If we understand the needs of the community there, I am sure things can be worked out. The bottom line is that I am positive it is do-able," he said.

Asked if he would meet former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, who has said he will visit Kuala Lumpur to discuss the situation in the South, Mr Najib said: "I have known Chavalit for years. He's an old friend. So I would be delighted to meet him

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Patani Conflicts : An Introduction

The continuing unrest in Southern Thailand since January 2004  resulted of more than 4,300 deaths and 10,000 persons injured . The root causes of the conflict may go back into the history of 1909 when the Patani kingdom was incorporated into the Kingdom of Siam (Thailand).

The Aglo -Siamese Treaty effected in 1909 was completely separated the northern Malay state into two parts : Patani, Narathiwat, Yala, Setul and Songkhla remained under Siam(Thailand), while Siam relinquished its claim to sovereignty over Kedah, Perlis, and Trangganu to Great Britain.The four states along with Johor, became known as Unfederated Malay state. The five states above remained with Siam because the British responded to the value of Siam as friendly buffer against the French in Indochina.

Since 1909 incorporated, there has been an ongoing cultural clashed between the Patani Malay and the Siamese state. The Siamese state initiated the policy of assimilation during the era of strongmen rule of General Pibulsongkram and Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat. The policy of “nationalism” was imposed through out the country. This phenomena had created a bad effect to the Patani Malay Muslim.

The current episode of unrest according to the commentators is the result of activities of separatist, strains of center periphery relation, the continuing unjust and discrimination practiced of Thai state toward the Patani Malays and some scholars believed that the growing numbers of higher education among Patani Malays, significantly upgrade the understanding of the Patani history and current phenomenon locally and inter- nationally .

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