Thai general urges talks with Muslim insurgents

Thailand must negotiate with leaders of an ethnic Malay Muslim separatist insurgency if it wants to end bloodshed in its troubled Muslim-majority southern provinces, the country’s army chief said on Friday.

General Sondhi Boonyaratkalin said the violence, which has claimed more than 1,500 lives, would not be quelled if authorities only arrested the foot-soldiers of the militancy, but refused to talk to its instigators. “It is necessary to talk to make lasting peace,” Gen Sondhi, the first Muslim to head the Thai army, told Thai journalists on Friday.

The appeal for talks with insurgents came a day after bombs in 22 banks across the province of Yala exploded almost simultaneously, killing a retired official, and injuring 28 people.

The highly co-ordinated attacks on the banks, including two state-owned Islamic banks, demonstrated the militants’ rising technical capacity, and their willingness to strike at the foundations of the economy of the region, an ethnic Malay Muslim-majority enclave in Buddhist-majority Thailand.

“Nothing is spared,” said Sunai Phasuk, a political analyst with Human Rights Watch. “So far, they have targeted administrative structures, security forces, law enforcement, educational structures, and cultural structures, like Buddhist monks. Now they attack the economic structure, which means nothing put in place by the Thai state is accepted.”

Article in full

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/542bf656-39d1-11db-90bb-0000779e2340.html

 

In the 80s the administration led by General Prem (retired) conducted a campain and talked all the old insurgent groups into laying down their arms.
The 4th Army based in the south was traditionally 'Officered' by long term people who grew up with the Mainly Islamist population and knew when to show a sympathetic attitude.
In 2001 the current administration accelerated the promotion of Junior Generals to command of highest positions. The army suffered a blow at the top, to the Established Military System.
Then an Islamist disturbance was put down with massive force and this has been used to fuel the present 'Troubles'
john
Sounds familiar.

 

I was given a Buddhist nickname when I was a yout' by my martial arts instructors, who decided I spent to much time reading and not enough sparring. Despite the evidence put forth by the Taliban with the buddhist statues from my reading there should be no conflict between Buddhism and Islam. That will of course be totally dependent on the fact they realise that Buddha is a state, not a God (something I'm not sure some buddhists get). I suppose it doesn't help that Dalai Lama means God King, but hey that's just Tibet.

 

Hmm, there you go I'm wrong. I'm sure it meant 'God King', but wiki says I'm wrong...

""Dalai" means "ocean" in Mongolian, and "Lama" (bla ma) is the Tibetan equivalent of the Sanskrit word "guru", and is commonly translated to mean "wisdom" ." The actual title was first bestowed by the Mongolian ruler Altan Khan upon Sonam Gyatso, an abbot at the Drepung monastery who was widely considered the most eminent lama of his time. Although Sonam Gyatso became the first lama to hold the title "Dalai Lama", due to the fact that he was the third member of his lineage, he became known as the "3rd Dalai Lama". The previous two titles were conferred posthumously upon his earlier incarnations. The title "Dalai Lama" is presently granted to each of the spiritual leader's successive incarnations (for example, The 14th Dalai Lama's next incarnation will hold the title "the 15th Dalai Lama"). Tibetans call the Dalai Lama Gyalwa Rinpoche (rgyal ba rin po che) meaning "Precious Victor," or Yishe Norbu (yid bzhin nor bu) meaning "Wish-fulfilling Jewel"."

[align=center]Source[/align]

(actually thinking about it reincarnation is gonna be a sticky point with Muslims, if they start to accept that they are one step away from wearing gold and streaming toward the Dajjal)

 

Yes how true.
The Lord Buddha was a man.
An Indian/Nepalese ? Prince who wondered on the plight of man.
For years he attempted to work out the problems to life and in very simple term Enlightment came to him while sat under a 'Bhondi' tree.
Mans problems are caused by mans desires, so if you want/expect nothing then you will have total peace of mind.
john in simplistic mode.
and Yes his followers have elevated him to God like status.

 

Well, one of my favourite and oft' quoted phrases is Joshu's verse...

"Does a dog have Buddha nature?"

"MU! That is the imperative, for once you think it has, it has not, you may as well be dead."

Although the enquiring disciple was reported to have been confused by the word 'Mu' it is said to be a chinese word having multiple meanings, No, absolute, not being, not existing as we can perceive existence.

 

Just did a google and found a rather nice version of it on-line...

Joshu's Dog