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| Southeast Asia |
| Thai Muslim youth to visit Malaysia |
| 2007-01-25 |
| Up to 30 young Muslims from five southern border provinces will go to Malaysia on an exchange programme sponsored by the government, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Kitti Wasinondh. The exchange programme was put forward by Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont during his meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi on Oct 28. It was hoped that the visits would bring about better understanding between the two countries and broaden the young participants’ outlook. The Foreign Ministry will work with the Education Ministry and the Southern Border Province Administrative Centre (SBPAC) to select students aged between 15-18 to take part in the programme. They will go to the Malaysian state of Kedah and visit a secondary school. While there, they will have a chance to learn about the peaceful coexistence of Buddhists and Muslims in the state which borders Thailand, according to Mr Kitti. They will then go on to Penang, where Muslims and Chinese have lived side by side for decades. After that, they will go to Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya to visit a religious school and an Islamic university. Mr Kitti said that the exchange programme would show the young participants how moderate Islam could be integrated into modern education, economic development, science and technology. “We want them to bring back what they learn on the trip and use that in their study. We also want them to see how people of different ethnicity and religion in Malaysia can live together in peace and harmony. That’s a positive example,” added the spokesman. |
| Posted by:ryuge |