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| Southeast Asia |
| Officials say International terrorists have no foothold in Thailand |
| 2006-07-27 |
| Thailand and Australia dismissed concerns Thursday that violence-stricken southern Thailand might become a breeding ground for regional terrorists, saying Muslim insurgents there have shown little desire to tie up with foreign militant networks. "As far as the situation in the southern part of Thailand is concerned, there is no relationship with any international linkages of any sort,'' Thai Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon said after a meeting with his Australian counterpart, Alexander Downer, on the sidelines of an Asian security conference. Some counterterrorism experts have warned the conflict could worsen if Islamic militant networks in Southeast Asia, such as the al-Qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah, get involved in providing external assistance. Kantathi rejected speculation that southern Thailand could become like Mindanao province in the southern Philippines, which has been wracked by decades of Muslim separatist violence. Downer, whose country has boosted counterterrorism cooperation with Southeast Asia in recent years, said the southern Thai conflict was being contained so that it was "not seen as something relevant to international terrorism.'' "There's very limited evidence of any contact with any broader jihadist movement,'' Downer said. "I suspect some of the jihadists have endeavored to link up, but have failed to do so with those in southern Thailand.'' Downer declined to say whether Australia supports Thailand's use of emergency rule in the south, which lets the government impose curfews, prohibit public gatherings, censor and ban publications, detain suspects without charge, confiscate property and tap telephones. "I don't try to micromanage Thailand from Australia,'' Downer said. "It's a sensitive and difficult issue. ... The main thing is that the international community gets behind the Thai government's efforts to try to solve the problem.'' Kantathi said the current situation in southern Thailand was "very stable,'' stressing that authorities were working to settle the issue through education, equal opportunities and Muslim students were being encouraged to further their education in countries where they could live among and learn from moderate Muslim communities, including Australia, Kantathi said |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #3 Did you clowns do a heavy opium session before this meeting of advanced intellects ? |
| Posted by: SOP35/Rat 2006-07-27 13:00 |
| #2 "Strictly local talent" |
| Posted by: mojo 2006-07-27 10:13 |
| #1 How about conducting a poll of Buddhist teachers in your southern provinces? At least the ones that are still alive. |
| Posted by: Spinemp Whaish3182 2006-07-27 09:25 |