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December 1, 2005
Thailand: 131 Muslim Villagers To Return
In reports from Mass Communications, the Bangkok Post, the China People's Daily, and XinhuaNet, the issue of 131 Thai Muslim villagers who fled to Malaysia in late August appears to have been diplomatically settled.
The villagers have been living as refugees in Malaysia, with the Thai government demanding their return. Now, the Malaysian New Straits Times has announced that the prime ministers of Thailand and Malaysia have reached an agreement on the issue which had been causing diplomatic strife.
The issue was apparently resolved in the background during the recent APEC (Asai-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Summit in South Korea.
With the agreement, the 131 villagers will be returned, if the Thai government can guarantee their safety.
The Bangkok Post states that the 131 villagers are being held in a detention camp in Terrengganu state, south of Kelantan, which lies against the Thai border.
Recently the former prime minister of Malaysia, Mahathir bin Mohamad visited Thailand and spoke with the Thai PM, Thaksin Shinawatra.
The Thai Muslims, some of whom apparently hold dual nationalities, are said to be "reluctant to go home", but it was agreed to be in the best interests of both nations to resolve the issue.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at December 1, 2005 8:00 AM
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