1 reply to this topic

[Expattaya]

Surayud backs Aceh 'model'

That's what one of the headline articles in the Bangkok Post hard copy edition said. For some reason, however, the same headline occupies a distant last position in the internet version of the same paper. Inadvertant or intentional ?

http://www.bangkokpost.net/News/22Oct2006_news99.php

It's no secret that the old Thaksin government brissled at any suggestion that the three southern predominantly Malay and muslim provinces, should be granted some form of autonomy as a basis for settling their grievances against the central government in Bangkok. The word "autonomy" was and is simply not tolerated, then or now, among certain Buddhist circles in Bangkok.

It was surprising, then, that the new PM would be reported as "backing the Aceh model," which is a form of autonomy that the central government in Indonesia has recently negotiated and granted to Aceh province.

If you read the article carefully, it's not clear if the PM was referring to the peace process itself, as something to be admired and duplicated, or whether some form of autonomy for the south, within the Thai national framework, is what he was suggesting.

Frankly, it's probably the only way to bring the southern violence to a expeditious end, but it remains to be seen if some in Bangkok will ever accept that approach to peace.

[JimLA]

Frankly, it's probably the only way to bring the southern violence to a expeditious end, but it remains to be seen if some in Bangkok will ever accept that approach to peace.

Amen to that. My sometimes BF is a moslem who comes from the southern areas and he does not trust the police or government in anything. He also claims that there have been hundreds of moslems killed in the area by hit squads that never get publicized in the newspapers in Bangkok or most of Thailand. Under the martial law there, soldiers cannot be punished for carrying out orders, no matter what they do !!!!