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November 9, 2006

Thailand: Muslim Threats Force Buddhists To Flee Villages

While the unelected prime minister, Surayad Chulanot, advocates imposing Sharia law into the southern provinces of Thailand, where 80% of the population is Muslim, non-Muslims in the south are growing fearful.

Surayad said two days ago that Muslims in the southern provinces "should have the Islamic law in practice, Shariah, because the way they are dealing with the normal practice in their society, in their life, is completely different from us".

On Wednesday night, the problems already endured by the minority Buddhist population became highlighted when 122 Buddhists fled their homes in Yala province, and took refuge in a Buddhist temple, after Muslim militants threatened to attack them in their homes.

The Buddhists come from 55 families, from three villages in Than To and Bannang Sata districts, in Yala province. Most come from the villages of Santi 1 in Than To and Santi 2 in Bannang Sata. The residents' fears deepened after an incident on Sunday November 5, when Muslim militants attacked a house in Santi 2 vilage, killing two people.

Boon Iamnirand, 68, and his daughter Aree Iamnirand, 28, the wife and father-in-law of 36-year old Thongchai Iemhiran were killed when insurgents shot at the family house and later set fire to it. Thongchai hid in bushes while the attack took place. At dawn this morning, he returned to the house, and took the two bodies in a boat to the temple of Wat Nirotsankharam in Muang district.

This temple, which has extensive grounds, became the place of sanctuary for the villagers who feared similar attacks. Thonchai said: "I do not want to return to my village anymore. It's better to be a beggar than to go back to my community as I have nothing left there. I beg for help from state agencies to provide permanent shelters for me and other villagers. I wish to have an opportunity to be granted an audience with Her Majesty the Queen."

Queen Sirikit of Thailand has supported many humanitarian and economic projects in the south, for the benefit of Muslims and Buddhists alike. She donated 400,000 baht ($10,906) to the authorities in Yala to assist the villagers looking for refuge a the temple. She also donated 200,000 baht ($5,453) to the abbot of the temple to cover expenses incurred while the villagers reside in the extensive grounds of Wat Nirotsankharam.

At around noon on Thursday, eight car showrooms were hit by synchronized bomb attacks in Yala city, Yala province. 13 people were injured in the blasts, and were taken to Yala Central Hospital for treatment.

The bombs had been placed under the seats of vehicles, by people posing as potential buyers. 22 vehicles, including 10 motorcycles, were destroyed in the explosions. The showrooms were sales outlets for Honda, Isuzu, Nissan, Mazda, Ford and Chevrolet.

At the Honda showroom on Phetkasem Road, the dealership received a phone call minutes before the blast, warning of an imminent attack and advising evacuation of the showroom.

The car dealership attacks are thought to have been devised by Muslim militant Isma-ae Paju, who led the bombing campaign against 22 banks in Yala province on Thursday August 31. Here, people posing as customer left bombs in folders at the branches. One bomb failed to go off, but in the 21 banks which had explosions one man was killed, and 24 people were injured.

On Thursday morning, an incendiary device was discovered in a car repair garage in Rangae district, Narathiwat province.

The killings and attacks have continued. On Thursday morning, a 49-year old Buddhist man was shot dead in Nong Chik district, Pattani province. Pairote Pomprasit was riding a motorcycle to his work at a construction company when two men on a motorcycle approached. The pillion rider shot Pairote.

In Yarang district, Pattani, a man employed by the Pattani District Highway Office was shot by two suspected militants. 39-year old Pirom Pinnok was cutting the grass verge of the Pattani-Yala road when he was killed.

In Kapho district, Pattani province, a security volunteer was killed and a village headman was severely injured when six militants opened fire on a group of security volunteers. These were assisting villagers to build a house. The assailants stole two M-16 rifles and a pistol from the volunteers and then set fire to their car.

Despite the chaos in the southern provinces, a leading Muslim cleric, Sawas Sumalayasak, said that the military-backed government, which came into being following the bloodless coup of September 19 was to be trusted. Sawas, who goes under the title of "Chularatchamontri" (Sheikh of Islam), is the spiritual leader of Thailand's Muslim population. He said that prime minister Surayud Chulalnot was sincere in resolving the violence in the south. Sawas caimed that he was confident that a solution could be accomplished.

Surayud Chulanot has promised to end the "blacklisting" of Islamic teachers in the south. Sawas has welcomed this promise. Teachers in Pattani province on Thursday asked for more security and appealed to community leaders to be more pro-active in providing them with escorts between their homes and the schools where they work. Teachers have been specific targets of the insurgents.

The interior minister of the coup-leaders' puppet government, Aree Wongarya (himself a Muslim), said Islamic teachers would be prosecuted if there was firm evidence against them. He said Surayud Chulanot's vow to end blacklisting only applied where there was no substantiation of extremism.

Since January 4, 2004, the southern provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala, as well as two districts of Songkhla province, have been involved in an insurgency which has killed at least 1,700 people. The southern provinces had formerly been an independent Sultanate, but in 1786 this was invaded. In 1902 this became annexed within Siam. The inhabitants of the three provinces of the south are predominantly Muslims, who make up 80% of the demographic and are ethnic Malays. The predominant language is Yawi, a dialect of Malay. The three southern provinces are the poorest in the country, with high levels of unemployment. The national average of unemployment is 14%, but in Yala it is 35%, in Narathiwat it is 28%, and in Pattani the rate is 25%.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at November 9, 2006 8:53 PM

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