| Submit your comments on this article |
| Southeast Asia |
| Thai PM's Muslim insurgency blame game 'a blunder' |
| 2004-12-28 |
| The Thai premier's attempt to shift blame onto Malaysia and Indonesia for his failure to quell an Islamic insurgency in southern Thailand was a blunder that threatened regional ties, analysts warned. Thaksin Shinawatra's administration had often stressed that mounting separatist violence in the south that has left more than 560 people dead this year was fuelled in part by Muslims returning radicalised from study overseas. But when he stated in a weekly radio address December 18 that Thai militants were training across the border in the jungles of Malaysia, and had received inspiration from extremists in Indonesia, he stirred up a hornets' nest. "It was a huge breach of diplomatic etiquette for the prime minister, who should not make such comments in public," said Phuwadol Songprasert, a lecturer in regional relations at Bangkok's Kasetsart University. "Such comments have made both the Malaysian and Indonesian governments unhappy" and could damage their ties with the majority Buddhist kingdom, he told AFP. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #5 PBMcL Fred's real source of income is providing new names for 2nd and 3rd world countries. His name generator is subscribed to by more than 1500 clinics, hospitals and individual birth facilitators from Karachi to Vientiene. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-12-28 8:33:16 AM |
| #4 I think the ties have already been damaged, and the real victem is Thailand, not Malaysia or Indonesia. |
| Posted by: Gleaper Thomoling7223 2004-12-28 7:46:25 AM |
| #3 "Always be polite to those who are stabbing you in the back." I'm sure the PM will want to pay close attention to this 'lecturer.' I'd bet Thaksin's got a few recon photos in his desk to back up the charges. BTW, I think "Phuwadol Songprasert" might make a good addition to Fred's anonymous name generator. |
| Posted by: PBMcL 2004-12-28 1:26:10 AM |
| #2 Thai militants were training across the border in the jungles of Malaysia, and had received inspiration from extremists in Indonesia And all three of these countries are going to need large quantities of our help in the very near future. Maybe we need to ensure some real cooperation for a change, instead of the usual lip service. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-12-28 1:18:45 AM |
| #1 Why is it that analysts always warn that calling a spade a spade is bad? Stirred up a hornet's nest? Breach of etiquette? There are innocent dead people you jackasses - and you're worried about the tone of Toxin's speech? Where does reality fit into your world view, "Mr Analyst"? Wotta load. Malaysia claims they're not involved with the "insurgency". So what "ties" can be damaged by going after renegades? There is, by this claim, no one to negotiate with - and the Buddhists certainly didn't start this mess. But, if you ever want it to end, you'd better get on the right side of it - and that's to fight them. Take the offensive, Toxin. Ignore the REMF wonks and take the fight to the border. Mine the whole thing, if you need to. Train troops for real war - else they'll keep getting picked off like schoolboys just hanging around, instead of acting like serving soldiers. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-12-28 1:14:08 AM |