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| Southeast Asia |
| Point of no return for southern Thailand |
| 2007-05-10 |
| It is now violently apparent that Thailand's military-appointed government's policy of reconciliation toward its three insurgency-hit majority-Muslim provinces Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala was never really implemented on the ground. Instead, southern Thailand's three-year-old conflict is veering in a dangerous new direction, where the government is establishing a growing number of loosely regulated local militias, and in response ethnic-Malay Muslim insurgent groups have commenced attacks against the economic lifelines of certain urban districts in an intensified effort to empty the restive region of ethnic-Thai and Sino-Thai Buddhists. Yala province is emerging as the showcase and test case for the insurgents' new strategy, which, according to on-the-ground monitors who regularly communicate with insurgent leaders from the BRN-Coordinate group, aims soon to seize total control of the province, including the central government's administrative hub and the police's forward command center in the region. (The BRN-Coordinate is known to be the political arm of the traditional BRN - Barisan Revolusi Nasional or National Revolutionary Front - separatist organization.) That strategy has been most visible in Yala's Betong district, where recently insurgents and insurgent sympathizers blocked road access to the area and cut electricity and mobile-telephone signals for four straight nights. The blockade, which resulted in severe food and fuel shortages, was the first overt economic attack of the conflict. At the same time, the insurgents have increased the ferocity of their attacks on the civilian population, including a series of gruesome beheadings and burnings of their victims. These harsh tactics have caused new waves of displaced Buddhists from both rural and semi-urban areas into Yala's main township, where they have established shelters in a number of Buddhist temples. The insurgents' aim "is no longer to just empty villages of Buddhists, but whole districts", said Sunai Phasuk, Thailand representative of the US-based rights lobby Human Rights Watch. "Their strength is rising each day and they are confident they can win what they are fighting for - a separate state." Much more at link. This analysis is as good an answer as I've seen to the questions Rightwing raised in yesterday's post about Thailand. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #16 Thaksin was the only one who had a forceful respones, even tho 1/2 ass. I don't see this military junta doing a damn thing especially when it's headed by a Muslim. Thai's are just not warriors, atleast in this century. |
| Posted by: Uleremble Bluetooth1148 2007-05-10 23:37 |
| #15 But the Moghuls were just Mongols with a spelling error who entered India. And we've got Pakistan to show for it. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-05-10 20:47 |
| #14 The insurgents' aim "is no longer to just empty villages of Buddhists, but whole districts" Makes it easier to target... |
| Posted by: Pappy 2007-05-10 20:33 |
| #13 Did they happen to leave behind an instruction manual? Genghis Khan generally preferred to offer opponents the chance to submit to his rule without a fight and become vassals by sending tribute, accepting residents, contributing troops and supply. He guaranteed them protection only if they abided by the rules set forth, but his and his successor leaders' policy was widely written in historical documents as causing mass destruction, terror and deaths if they encountered a resistance. |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2007-05-10 20:05 |
| #12 Ask the Mongols. But one branch of the Mongols split off invade India, where they became known as the Moghuls. Their shameful legacy is modern Pakistan. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-05-10 20:03 |
| #11 Well I sure hope that Mac is right about the future Thai response. I need to get some Thai food soon and ask the proprieter what he thinks should be done and if the Thai ex-pat community is mobilizing to help create change. |
| Posted by: remoteman 2007-05-10 17:19 |
| #10 You're welcome Rightwing. I'm glad I saw your comment and was able to respond quickly. I keep looking for signs that the sleeping giant (reclining Buddha?) might be stirring and getting ready for a vigorous response. The jihadis couldn't be doing much more to provoke one. |
| Posted by: ryuge 2007-05-10 17:05 |
| #9 Dear Ryuge, Didn't get a chance to thank you for your comments yesterday. It's a sad state of affairs when the government refuses to protect her people from a criminal element. The Yaba salesman were effectively destroyed because they didn't represent one group. Because Islamist violence can be pinned on one group the PC fear intolerance. It's truly very sad. |
| Posted by: Rightwing 2007-05-10 16:37 |
| #8 Ask the Mongols. Did they happen to leave behind an instruction manual? |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-05-10 14:20 |
| #7 Since when has it ever been any different with Muslims? Ask the Mongols. |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2007-05-10 14:05 |
| #6 The Muslim's had a chance at peace and decided they'd rather have war. Since when has it ever been any different with Muslims? It's time to get all Medieval on their worthless Islamic asses. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-05-10 13:20 |
| #5 If I was running Thailand I'd follow Mac's advice exactly. The Muslim's had a chance at peace and decided they'd rather have war. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2007-05-10 11:29 |
| #4 Sounds like the govt. is mobilizing the Buddhist population to me. That's the first thing you'd want to do before the big play. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2007-05-10 09:10 |
| #3 Mac: That would be satay popcorn time but I see no evidence the Thais are going to show any more spine than we have so far. |
| Posted by: Excalibur 2007-05-10 09:04 |
| #2 I don't see that. I see the Thais in full retreat while they rearrange the government to one with the balls to kill the cancer of the south. Show me headlines with thousands of muzzies killed or wounded after the real Thai army has at them, relentlessly, day and night. |
| Posted by: wxjames 2007-05-10 08:59 |
| #1 I see the Thais quietly going full Roman on the muzzies and driving the lot of them into Malaysia. It will be ethnic cleansing writ large. Those muzzies that don't leave will soon be dead. Losing the muzzies will be no loss to Thailand; the sooner they're gone, the sooner the terror stops. |
| Posted by: Mac 2007-05-10 08:48 |