Neighbours

The recent incident that took place in Narathiwat where eleven people were killed was given wide coverage by the Malaysian mass media for several days and there were carefully-worded but clearly defined comments that these killings were the work of the Thai military. Villagers were 'quoted' as saying that local separatists would never commit such a crime inside the compounds of a religious building and therefore the Thai military was responsible. Malaysian politicians and the Malaysian mass media have been very extremely interested in the situation in south Thailand all these years. The former Thai premier, Thaksin, was often lambasted in the Malaysian media due to the widely perceived notion that he was greatly responsible for the 'sufferings' of the villagers in south Thailand. The depth of Malaysian interference in the internal affairs of Thailand, whether directly or indirectly, plus the ineffective control of the situation in the south by the Thai authorities could spell potential trouble for the future. The 2 neighbours might possibly resort to armed actions on the common border. Armed conflict might not be entirely impossible, as fighting between soldiers has happened more than once on the CambodianThai border and not too long ago, an explosion at a Malaysian army post was initially blamed on Thai soldiers. The situation is made worse by the tendency of the Malaysian side to provide the separatists with moral support. Malaysian politicians and mass media have often moaned about 'oppression', 'neglect' and 'hardship' endured by the people in south Thailand. Absolutely nothing was mentioned about the presence of bomb-making experts and serious military hardware found within the areas infiltrated by separatist militants. The Thai authorities however must shoulder much of the blame for the violence now taking place in south Thailand. The country has been busy trying to meddle in the affairs of other countries, especially in Myanmar and Cambodia, but it could not control the criminals and armed militants who operate freely in the south of the country. Contract killings, robberies, smuggling and kidnapping are rife in the region. Bribery and corruption are endemic as well. The Thai police and military have been unable to exert their authority and local Mafias and religious extremists have taken full advantage of it. Added to this is the attitude of the Malaysian authorities who happily liked to meddle in the internal affairs of south Thailand when given the slightest opportunity. Thailand should employ grid security measures in the south. The entire region should be marked out and each area assigned to a particular security unit and round the clock roadblocks set up to monitor the movement of people and vehicles. Over time, the security will improve and others would be less able to meddle in the internal affairs of the region. The Malaysian authorities should also play their part. Stop

meddling in the internal affairs of south Thailand. Stop the practice of sending 'journalists' over the border to 'interview' local residents. These actions are actually aimed at inflaming the emotions of the people there and thereby make it difficult for calm and reconciliation to take hold. The result is sure to produce more shootings and bombings. The Malaysian authorities should instead take care of things on its side of the border or fence. Smuggling of contraband items is widespread partly, due to the big presence of corrupt officials at all the border checkpoints. Guns, bullets, drugs, firecrackers and illegal immigrants enter the country very easily through the border with south Thailand and this has been going on for many years already. Therefore the authorities must concentrate on these issues and not go interfere in areas where we are not needed at all. The call by a certain rising Malaysian politician to 'investigate' the shootings that took place on Monday (8 June) is a blatant interference in the internal affairs of Thailand. There have been almost countless shootings and bombings in south Thailand since 2004, most of which were carried out by separatist extremists no doubt encouraged and supported by Malaysian sympathisers and the Thai authorites since have had their hands stretched to the full to counter the violence. The Thai authorities know well enough of the reasons behind the violence and they don't need Malaysian politicians to teach them or tell them what to do. Malaysian politicians should instead focus on things back home. The worsening crime situation here needs serious attention right away. The corruption and bribery that is still so rampant needs tackling immediately. Don't waste precious time watching what your neighbour is doing. Watch your own house instead. If the Malaysian authorities fail to recognise the error of their ways, and the violence in south Thailand continues to worsen, we could end up with a military conflict at the border. If that were to happen, who do you think should take the blame ? Malaysia must learn to be good neighbours with Thailand and allow the Thais to solve their own problems. The same with other problems in other countries like Myanmar, Singapore and eleswhere. Always take a look at yourself in the mirror first !! You were NEVER anywhere near perfect even in the slightest after all.