[Nikkei Asian Review] Muslims in southern Thailand are bidding farewell to a prominent Muslim leader accused by police of leading a separatist movement intent on creating a homeland for ethnic Malays in the region. Local media quoted Sapae-ing Basor's family members as saying he had passed away on January 10 while living in exile in Malaysia.About 2,500 people gathered on Monday morning at the school in southern Yala province where Sapae-ing served as principal until he fled the country in December 2004. Sapae-ing had been charged with treason by police over his alleged involvement in a series of attacks on police and military facilities in the region.
Sapae-ing, who was educated in Saudi Arabia, commanded respect from Thai authorities as well as admiration from local Muslim communities. "He was the most selfless person we ever knew. He always placed the needs and dignity of his community before him," said one cadre from the Barisan Revolusi Nasional, a key southern insurgent group that surfaced in the early 1960s.
Since its inception, the BRN has looked to post-colonial Indonesia for inspiration, while relying on a network of traditional Islamic schools in the southern Thai region as its support base.
Thai police have maintained that Sapae-ing is the overall leader of the BRN, and at one time they placed a 10 million baht reward on his head. The reward system for the region was dropped by the military government that assumed power in 2006.
A senior BRN source said the movement would continue its fight against the Thai government, noting that Sapae-ing's death would not affect the group's military operations. Thai security officials and BRN rebels said that his death would not have a significant impact on stalled peace talks between the Thai government and Mara Patani, an umbrella organization of southern rebel groups.