PM Urges People Not to View Murder of Monks as "Religious Conflict"

January 25, 2004

Source: Bangkok Post

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/25Jan2004_news10.html

On January 25, 2004 the Bangkok Post reported, "Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has called for patience among people in the South, saying certain elements were trying to create religious conflict. Speaking on his weekly radio show, Mr. Thaksin said he had received a report on knife attacks that killed two monks and seriously wounded another yesterday morning. 'Please be patient. Don't take what happened as religious conflict otherwise we could become a tool of the separatists. From our assessment, their strength should not exceed 200, including a number of youths,' he said...At a meeting with Muslim leaders on Friday, he rejected a request that he pull out troops from the South and lift martial law in certain areas."