Pro-Active Measures towards Reconciliation in the Southern Provinces of Thailand

Pro-Active Measures towards Reconciliation in the Southern Provinces of Thailand

Royal Initiatives

On 28 February 2005, a seminar called "Joining Forces in Solving Problems in Southern Border Provinces Based on Royal speeches" was held at the Convention Center, Chulabhorn Research Institute in Bangkok. The seminar was attended by representatives of the public and private sectors; members of the civil society; religious leaders; and the media. During the seminar, General Prem Tinsulanonda, President of the Privy Council, stressed that H.M. the King's speeches emphasized the need to have proper understanding to bring peace and happiness to the people, especially those in the three southern border provinces. All sides must seek to understand the problems, win the local residents' hearts and join hands in local development calling on Thai people of all faiths to boost the morale of both the local residents and officials in the south.
In Her Royal Address on the eve of Her 73rd Birthday, H.M. the Queen expressed support for people in the three southern provinces of Thailand. In response to H.M. the Queen's speech, members of the public and private sectors formed a committee to launch the project "Peace-Building as a Tribute to Her Majesty the Queen" to show unity for peace-building in the southern provinces in Thailand. Activities under this project include: candle-lighting ceremony, mini-marathon, etc. The project, initiated to boost the morale of both local residents and officials in the three southern provinces of Thailand, underscored the need to resolve the situation through peaceful means.
There are approximately 52 Royal initiated projects in the three provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, and Yala. H.M. the Queen has a network of Supplementary Occupations and Related Techniques (SUPPORT) centers set up in the three southern provinces of Thailand, which were established to promote folk handicrafts and preserve national arts as well as to enable local residents to earn extra income. Another important Royal initiated project in the South is the establishment of model farms. There are eight model farms in the southern region: six in Narathiwat, one in Pattani and one in Phattnalung.
H.M. the Queen initiated the set up of the Sufficiency Economy Village in Narathiwat for widows and children of those killed during the situation in the southern provinces of Thailand. The sufficiency Economy Village, also known as the Widows' Village, created demonstration farms for people to earn a living. The compound of the village also comprises housing (90 units) for some of these people.
On 15 October 2005, H.M. the Queen, in the name of H.M. the King, presented honorary awards to a number people in the southern provinces of Thailand, such as Islamic Committee members, Imams, school administrators, teachers and students for their remarkable achievements in their task.

Government Initiatives

Education and Trainings

The Government has been providing vocational trainings for the people in the three southern provinces of Thailand targeting around 2,000 persons. The Yala Skill Development Center has offered computer courses for students in public schools and Islamic schools. Pattani Skill Development Center organized several training courses on needlework, batik production and dressmaking. And the Narathiwat Skill Development Center has offered English and culinary courses.
The Government hired the Prince of Songkhla University to conduct a research on obtaining sustainable development in the southern provinces of Thailand to address the needs of the local residents.
On 29 July 2004, the Minister of Education signed an announcement to establish community colleges in Yala and Pattani to address the shortage of educational institutions in the provinces. The two community colleges, which would be established in accordance with the Islamic principles, would focus on vocational training courses.
The Education Ministry will encourage schools in the region to teach Islam, Malay and the region's history in respect to the local population.
The Government will improve the educational system in the south to in corporate religious studies, general courses and vocational training, in the three southern provinces of Thailand. School curriculum in southern border provinces will be re-adjusted to meet the needs of the local population.
The Government is also promoting Islamic studies in state primary schools in the south. A working group, comprising government officials and religious leaders, will work out the curriculum.
Research and development is being undertaken on the issue of introducing a bilingual pilot project teaching both Thai and Jawi into the educational system in the south.
A Jawi language course would also be opened for government officials from all agencies in the southern border provinces and other interested persons in the south to enhance the understanding between the government officials and local residents.
Education Minister Chaturon Chaisang emphasized that the Government will not suspend or close down "pondok" and "tadika" schools. Vocational trainings as well as other general area of studies will be offered in private Islamic schools and "pondok" institutes on a voluntary basis.

Security Initiative

The Southern Border Provinces Peace-building Command, which has been operating since October 2004, conducts an evaluation of its overall performance every three or six months to ensure efficiency in resolving the situation in the south in a peaceful manner.

Legal Initiative

On 19 Sept. 05, a legal justice center for reconciliation was launched as an effort to bring reconciliation to the southern provinces of Thailand. The center aims to promote the participation of the civic sector in easing the unrest in the south by providing proper understanding about the southern situation; promoting and protecting the rights of the local people in accordance with the Constitution; and providing them with greater access to the justice process. The center's main office, which is located at Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus, would be comprised of volunteer lawyers who understand the local dialect and are familiar with the local people.

Banking, Finance and Investment

The Board of Investment is providing incentives to encourage investors in the four southern provinces of Thailand, namely Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and Songkhla.
On 6 Sept. 05, the cabinet approved additional measures to provide assistance to the three southern provinces of Thailand.

The first measure promotes the establishment of duty free zones and warehouses in the three southern provinces to help boost the production of exports by reducing customs procedures and providing tax incentives. Moreover, the Customs Department was instructed to set up duty free shops near the Thai-Malaysia border in Songkhla, Yala and Narathiwat.
The second measure exempts fines of contractors whose construction of government and states projects are incomplete due to the unrest. The construction period stated in their respective contracts can be extended for another 180 days.
The third measure is to ensure that financial services provided in the south be in accordance with the Islamic principles.

The Islamic Bank of Thailand set up a business center at its headquarters in Bangkok that would help link local and international markets to increase investment channels for Muslim Thais.
The Islamic Bank of Thailand will serve as the core agency working together with Krung Thai Bank; the Bank of Agriculture and Cooperative; and the Government Savings. The Bank of Thailand also extended the period of the interest rate at 1.2% from the original expiration date of February 2006 to February 2008 to enable borrowing and replying loans easier. The Government also plans to offer other services such as insurance, cooperatives and pawnshops based on Islamic principles.
The Islamic Bank of Thailand plans to raise capital from 1 billion baht to 3 billion baht by the end of the year. The Islamic Bank of Thailand will also pay another 305 million baht to purchase Krung Thai Bank's computer system set up for the Shariah Bank Program.

Industrial Sector

The Government has provided a "packaging" and "production" training for SMEs and community entrepreneurs in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat to promote industrial businesses in the south.
The "Industrial drive" is one of the measures being undertaking by the Government to improve the livelihoods of the people in the southern provinces of Thailand.

Recognizing that "kaolin", which is used for ceramics and construction industries, is a major resource in Narathiwat, the Government instructed the Ministry of Industry to explore more kaolin sources in the province.
Muslim culture, such as "kolae", a boat reflecting the Islamic culture, and "yawo", which are seen on the rooftops of Muslim houses, will also be incorporated into the designs of the "benjarong".
Trainings for local residents to operate industries have also been undertaken and technological transfers have also occurred.
The Ministry of Industry is also launching a project to develop products under the "one tambon, one product" program in the three southern provinces of Thailand.
A halal food industry is also being set up in Panare and Sai Buri districts in Pattani. The Cabinet approved a budget of 500 million baht to develop the infrastructure in the areas to facilitate the industry and the Central Laboratory and Scientific Information Center for Halal Food Development at Chulalongkorn University was assigned to help develop the halal food industry in the southern provinces to international standards.

Public Health

The Ministry of Public Health implemented several income/employment generating projects for help the people in the southern provinces of Thailand, namely Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala.

PM's Visits to the South

On 6-7 October 2005, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra visited Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat to enhance ties with the local communities. During the visit, Prime Minister Thaksin also visited the residences of Mesae Useng, Romlee Uttrarasin and Sapae-ing Basor, three suspected militants involved with the unrest in the south, to talk with their relatives and assured them of their safety and justice if they turn themselves in. The visit was also used to meet with officials in the south to give them support and boost their moral.

Others

The Government conducted a survey in the southern provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and Songkhla, which was concluded on 11 June 04, to address the developmental concerns of the local residents. According to the survey [152,743 households - Narathiwat (47,820), Pattani (55,678), Yala (38,430), and Songkhla (10,815)], the main developmental concerns are as follows;

around 70 percent of the respondents need further development in the agricultural areas such as soil improvement and crop diversification development;
9 percent want financial support and debt eradication;
around 7 percent wants greater educational opportunities and scholarships;
others include: better infrastructure, better access to public health care and increasing security and safety for the local residents.

Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratglin will become the Commander of the Royal Thai Army on 1 Oct. 2005. Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratglin became the first ever Muslim Army Commander in Thailand.
Note: News agencies all over the world, particularly from the Muslim community, commended the move, Gulf news stated in an article published on 18 September 2005, Thailand has recently proven that it is a civilized secular state where all citizens have equal rights, regardless of their religious and ethnic background, including the right to hold key official posts.

International Initiatives

Thailand hosted the 4th Meeting of the OIC Task force on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises for Export Products.
With the continuation of violence spurred by ill-intended people using religion as a pretext to cause unrest in order to advance their ulterior motive, the Government recognizes the need to empower the voice of the moderates to counter the deviation of Islamic teachings that may lead to extremism. Thailand has hosted the visit by eminent Muslim leaders such as Mr. Ahmad Hasyim Muzadi, Chairman of Nadhlatul Ulama, on 27 March to 1 April 2005. During his visit, Mr. Muzadi blamed the violence in the southern provinces of Thailand on the distortion of Islamic teachings and highlighted the importance of empowering the moderate Muslims through the promotion of education.
By the invitation of the Thai Government, the OIC delegation, led by H.E. Sayed K. El-Masry, paid a goodwill and orientation visit to Thailand during 2-13 June 2005. The OIC visit followed the visit by the Thai delegation led by Mr. Nissai Vejjajiva, Special Envoy of the ministry of Foreign Affairs to OIC in Jeddah on 5 March 2005. The visit gave the OIC delegation the opportunity to gather first-hand information and facts concerning the situation in the southern provinces of Thailand that would enable the OIC members to have a better understanding of the events that occurred in the southern provinces of Thailand. The visit enabled the OIC delegation to gain a better understanding of the situation and clearly recognizing that the situation in Thailand's south is not a religious conflict. H.E. Ambassador Sayed also reaffirmed OIC's long standing policy of not supporting separatism and sectarianism and respecting Thailand's sovereignty.
The government is also devoted to further strengthening Thailand's pro-active engagement with the Islamic world. Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon visited Indonesia, Malaysia, Jordan, Oman, Turkey, Yemen and Bahrain as well as attending the 32nd Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Minister held in Sana'a, Yemen, during which Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon delivered a statement. The Meeting was a success and OIC's reports reaffirmed the elements stated in the Joint Press Statement at the conclusion of the discussions between OIC Delegation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand on 7 June 2005.
Thailand fully supports and embraces initiatives such as the Asia Middle-East Dialogue (AMED) and ASEM Interfaith Dialogue which are global efforts to promote a culture of peace and building interfaith harmony within the International community.
Thailand is also working closely with Malaysia under Thailand-Malaysia Committee on Joint Development Strategy for border areas (JDS).

Achievements

A young blind Thai Muslim, Mohammad Islah Busakorn, won first prize in the Mahir bil-Qur'an (skilful with the Qur'an) contest organized by the International Organization for Memorizing the Qur'an (IOMQ) in Jeddah Saudi Arabia

Sources : Ministry of Foreign Affairs