Malaysia's new army chief warns southern Thai may become terrorist hotbed
Thailand's insurgency-wracked southern provinces are a potential breeding ground for Islamic terrorists if Muslim grievances and anger are not addressed, Malaysia's new army chief warned.
Gen. Muhammad Ismail Jamaluddin also cautioned worsening violence in Thailand's restive south may send refugees fleeing to Malaysia but said close cooperation between the two nations' troops would help secure their common border and prevent a spillover of the crisis.
"I think the possibilities (of southern Thailand becoming a terrorist hotbed) are there once there is an element of unhappiness and hatred among the locals toward their government," Muhammad Ismail, who took office in January, told The Associated Press.
"They may exploit the situation to their advantage in order to gain support for their struggle," he said in an interview to mark Malaysia's Army Day Thursday.
Thailand's defense minister said last week there were 1,000 armed fighters and 10,000 second-line hard-core sympathizers in the southern provinces. Suspected militants have recently launched a string of high-profile attacks.
"I believe the Thai government is fully aware of this situation and has taken action and adopted various measures to overcome it."
Analysts have warned operatives of the al-Qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah could move into southern Thailand to take advantage of the separatist insurgency that has already claimed around 2,000 lives over the past three years.
Muslims, the majority in the southern provinces of Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani, often complain of being treated like second-class citizens in Buddhist-dominated Thailand, with inadequate educational and job opportunities.
They share both the religion and ethnicity of Malays, the largest ethnic group in neighboring Malaysia.
Muhammad Ismail said the Malaysian army hasn't detected any insurgent infiltration into the country nor found any terrorist training camps along the rugged, sometimes porous 647-kilometer (402-mile) shared border.
"The possibility of spillover is inevitable if those wanted groups are being pressured by the Thai authorities," he said.
"So far we have not encountered any Thais that are believed to be insurgents encroaching into our territory, except for poachers and those who steal the jungle products such as sandalwood," he said.
"We have not found any training camp in the border area. Since we are operating in deep jungle areas along the common border, I am confident we will be the first to discover those training camps should there be any."
Muhammad Ismail said the army is prepared to conduct thorough searches if there are any indications of insurgents hiding in Malaysian border areas or any illegal incursion.
"The situation along the Thai border is well within our control," he stressed. "If the situation deteriorates, there may be a possibility of refugees ... but we have contingency plans to deal with it."
Malaysian forces are monitoring the situation closely and are sharing intelligence with Thailand through their joint border committee that can lead to an immediate response, he said.
Although people living on both sides of the border have close links, Muhammad Ismail said he is uncertain to what extent and in what form Malaysians render support to militants.
He said he has no evidence that backs Thailand's claims that "tom yum" restaurants along the Malaysian border are being used to channel funds to Muslim insurgents. Tom yum is a spicy Thai soup, usually with shrimp.
"All of us know that there are many 'tom yum' restaurants along the Malaysian border but we do not know who owns them," he said. "I believe the relevant authorities are closely monitoring the allegation."
Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, who has launched a campaign to win over southern Muslims, recently said possible peace talks with the insurgents are being discussed between the foreign ministers of Thailand and Malaysia.
Malaysia has pledged to help Thailand in its efforts to develop the southern provinces economically. The two nations also agreed to close legal loopholes that allowed Thai Muslim insurgents holding dual citizenship to flee across the border and seek refuge in Malaysia.
Thailand terrorist Malaysia new army chief
Gen. Muhammad Ismail Jamaluddin also cautioned worsening violence in Thailand's restive south may send refugees fleeing to Malaysia but said close cooperation between the two nations' troops would help secure their common border and prevent a spillover of the crisis.
"I think the possibilities (of southern Thailand becoming a terrorist hotbed) are there once there is an element of unhappiness and hatred among the locals toward their government," Muhammad Ismail, who took office in January, told The Associated Press.
"They may exploit the situation to their advantage in order to gain support for their struggle," he said in an interview to mark Malaysia's Army Day Thursday.
Thailand's defense minister said last week there were 1,000 armed fighters and 10,000 second-line hard-core sympathizers in the southern provinces. Suspected militants have recently launched a string of high-profile attacks.
"I believe the Thai government is fully aware of this situation and has taken action and adopted various measures to overcome it."
Analysts have warned operatives of the al-Qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah could move into southern Thailand to take advantage of the separatist insurgency that has already claimed around 2,000 lives over the past three years.
Muslims, the majority in the southern provinces of Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani, often complain of being treated like second-class citizens in Buddhist-dominated Thailand, with inadequate educational and job opportunities.
They share both the religion and ethnicity of Malays, the largest ethnic group in neighboring Malaysia.
Muhammad Ismail said the Malaysian army hasn't detected any insurgent infiltration into the country nor found any terrorist training camps along the rugged, sometimes porous 647-kilometer (402-mile) shared border.
"The possibility of spillover is inevitable if those wanted groups are being pressured by the Thai authorities," he said.
"So far we have not encountered any Thais that are believed to be insurgents encroaching into our territory, except for poachers and those who steal the jungle products such as sandalwood," he said.
"We have not found any training camp in the border area. Since we are operating in deep jungle areas along the common border, I am confident we will be the first to discover those training camps should there be any."
Muhammad Ismail said the army is prepared to conduct thorough searches if there are any indications of insurgents hiding in Malaysian border areas or any illegal incursion.
"The situation along the Thai border is well within our control," he stressed. "If the situation deteriorates, there may be a possibility of refugees ... but we have contingency plans to deal with it."
Malaysian forces are monitoring the situation closely and are sharing intelligence with Thailand through their joint border committee that can lead to an immediate response, he said.
Although people living on both sides of the border have close links, Muhammad Ismail said he is uncertain to what extent and in what form Malaysians render support to militants.
He said he has no evidence that backs Thailand's claims that "tom yum" restaurants along the Malaysian border are being used to channel funds to Muslim insurgents. Tom yum is a spicy Thai soup, usually with shrimp.
"All of us know that there are many 'tom yum' restaurants along the Malaysian border but we do not know who owns them," he said. "I believe the relevant authorities are closely monitoring the allegation."
Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, who has launched a campaign to win over southern Muslims, recently said possible peace talks with the insurgents are being discussed between the foreign ministers of Thailand and Malaysia.
Malaysia has pledged to help Thailand in its efforts to develop the southern provinces economically. The two nations also agreed to close legal loopholes that allowed Thai Muslim insurgents holding dual citizenship to flee across the border and seek refuge in Malaysia.
Thailand terrorist Malaysia new army chief
Labels: Asean News
posted by Ah Yun Wong at
6:31 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home