Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said Thursday the reconciliation approach will finally resolve the violence in the three southern border provinces. Speaking at the opening ceremony of a seminar on "The Role of Muslims in Proximity of Religions" hosted by the Iranian Embassy in Bangkok,the prime minister said that "Thailand is tolerant of every religion and Thais have the right to choose their own religion. There is no religious discrimination here. "There are 3,600 mosques in Thailand," the prime minister said. "The government also supports Muslim Thais to join the Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia."The unrest in the three southern border provinces is not caused by religious conflict, Gen. Surayud said, but it affects both Buddhists and Muslims in the south.
The government has adopted His Majesty the King's suggested principle of "Understanding, Access, and Development" to be the guideline in continuing reconciliation and peaceful approaches to end the unrest, he added.
Islamic experts from Iran exchanged information, experience and academic opinions with Thai Islamic experts and other religious experts during the seminar. This is in line with the government's method to support and promote good relations between all religions, Gen. Surayud said.
Dr. Abdullah bin Abdul Mohsin Al-Turki Secretary-General of the Muslim World League visited Thailand last month and advised the Muslim community to adhere to true Islam which did not accept the use of violence.He praised the Thai government for its adoption of reconciliation measures aimed at solving the unrest.