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2009-03-13 Southeast Asia

Thailand: The war you've never heard of ~~unless you read Rantburg~~

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Posted by ryuge 2009-03-13 00:33|| || Front Page|| [9 views ] Top

#1 The really sad thing is the long-term strategy of the separatists. Years ago, a copy of their written strategy document was captured - I believe in Northern Malaysia. It was very simple:

1. We want to have a pure Islamic state. We want to expel all Buddhists.
2. We will accomplish this task by making it impossible for Bhuddhist parents to send their children to school. We will do this by destroying schools, and by murdering teachers, school administrators, and students. Since we know that Buddhist parents will not allow their children to go uneducated, they will be forced to uproot their families and relocate outside of our area.
3. We will not bother Buddhists who have no children - because when they die, our task is accomplished - no more Buddhists.

And - the insurgents carried out that plan. Countless educators were murdered - in at least one case, insurgents entered a classroom and executed the teacher, in front of the horrified students. A favorite target was pick-up trucks or motorcycles bringing students or teachers to school. A score of school principals were executed.

This was - and still is - an outright attempt at genocide - ethnic cleaning of the most direct nature.

And - it is slowly working. Sending children to non-Islamic schools - or teaching in such a school - is to place yourself in continuing mortal peril.

It is horrible - and the silence of the "uninvolved" Muslin majority in the south is damning.

It is strange - because in the small business that I run in Bangkok, I employ both a Thai Muslim (from Surat Thani) and a Thai Budhhist (from Pattani) - who work (literally) side-by-side, and both are tremendous employees who get along well.

Posted by Lone Ranger 2009-03-13 01:52|| 2009-03-13 01:52|| Front Page Top

#2 I have a better idea: Thailand should expel all the Muslims. If they want to live in a "pure Islamic state" they can do it by moving south to Malaysia.

Posted by Scooter McGruder 2009-03-13 03:07|| 2009-03-13 03:07|| Front Page Top

#3 #3 even better, let them keep fighting, then if we can have China and India get at it, maybe the world would get rid of most of global warming problem. Isn't that briiliant!!!

Posted by Whineter Sproing9941 2009-03-13 19:24|| 2009-03-13 19:24|| Front Page Top

#4 No.

Posted by lotp 2009-03-13 21:24|| 2009-03-13 21:24|| Front Page Top

#5 This was - and still is - an outright attempt at genocide - ethnic cleaning of the most direct nature.

Ethnic cleansing isn't genocide, Lone Ranger. Otherwise, a very useful and informative post -- yet another variation on the theme of expanding Dar al Islam by terrorizing the kaffir. The question is, should the Thai army use tested American "hearts and minds" tactics, or simply give each village the choice of turning in the bad guys or moving to Malaysia themselves? Of course, the Thais will have to change their attitude for either to be effective.

Whineter Sproing9941, please don't be a fool.

Posted by trailing wife 2009-03-13 23:33|| 2009-03-13 23:33|| Front Page Top

#6 Whineter Sproing9941, please don't be a fool.

Unless you were just being silly, in which case please add a winking thingy like ;-) for those of us who're a bit slow on the uptake. Thanks!

Posted by trailing wife 2009-03-13 23:38|| 2009-03-13 23:38|| Front Page Top

23:50 ed
23:45 trailing wife
23:40 tu3031
23:38 trailing wife
23:33 trailing wife
23:28 tu3031
23:28 logi_cal
23:25 trailing wife
23:17 trailing wife
23:13 logi_cal
23:12 trailing wife
22:52 Old Patriot
22:25 Glenmore
22:13 Old Patriot
22:12 ed
22:09 ed
22:06 tu3031
22:06 Barbara Skolaut
22:04 Besoeker
22:03 ed
21:58 Barbara Skolaut
21:38 Anonymoose
21:28 Warthog
21:24 lotp