Thai Muslim Group Preaches Peace, Refutes Claims of Involvement in Southern Violence

April 16, 2004

Source: IslamOnline.net

http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2004-04/16/article03.shtml

On April 16, 2004 IslamOnline.net reported, "Rejecting claims by Thai officials that they are behind the current state of unrest in South Thailand, Muslims vowed to preach non-violence in the region, a member of the Islamic Group (IG) or Yayasan Muslimin in Malay - told IslamOnline.net. The IG, a non-official entity that has grouped all the Muslims under one roof to discuss the violence in South Thailand and to prepare an action plan for their future, told IOL Thursday, April 15, that Muslims were not really involved in the recent spate of violence that saw the killing of teachers, patrol guards and monks in the largely Muslim populated provinces in the south.'The Thai Premier (Thaksin Shinawatra) is indeed looking for a reason to better the relations with Muslims in the South with fresh polls ahead, but we assured him that we are not the one’s going around killing people and burning schools,' said Wan Abdullah, an influential member of the IG...Thaksin spent a day in south Thailand, visiting Muslim communities and having breakfast with leaders of the Islamic community while he met those who constituted themselves in the IG altogether."