[Prachatai] A Buddhist monk from a well-known temple in Thailand recently suggested that the government should burn a mosque for every Buddhist monk killed in the far South.Venerable Aphichat Promjan, chief lecturer monk at Benjamabophit Temple, a temple in Bangkok under royal patronage, last month posted on Facebook that authorities should take strong measures to stop the violence in southern Thailand. He suggested that the government should arm the local Buddhist population as a measure to protect defenseless Buddhist monks and people from being targeted by what he called "Malayu bandits."
Many Thai media outlets use the term "Malayu bandits" to refer to insurgent groups in southern Thailand.
The monk said that for ten years Buddhists have fallen victim to regional violence and that Buddhists should no longer have mercy for Malayu bandits because they have never been merciful to Buddhists. He said further, "If a [Buddhist] monk in the three southern border provinces dies from an explosion or being shot at the hands of the "Malayu bandits", a mosque should be burned, starting from the northern part of Thailand southwards."
Many people posted responses in support of the monk. However, many others posted comments against it.