NU chief to visit southern Thailand

Novan Iman Santosa, Asia News Network/Bangkok

Chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia's largest Muslim organization, is scheduled to visit Thailand to help the country handle its troubled, mainly Muslim southern provinces, Indonesian Ambassador to Bangkok Ibrahim Yusuf said on Tuesday.

"We should promote the more moderate faces of Islam. That's why we are inviting Pak Hasyim to visit Thailand, sponsored by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs," Ibrahim said.

"He will visit the southern provinces to talk with local leaders there during his stay here on March 27 to April 1."

The Thailand government has been widely criticized, especially by Islamic nations, about its iron-fist approach in handling violence in the three predominantly Muslim provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala.

Dissatisfaction with the central government's way of dealing with the provinces in addition to historical and sociocultural differences caused the violence in southern Thailand.

"I believe Thailand first needs to know and understand more about Islam to deal with its southern provinces," said Ibrahim. Ibrahim, who submitted his credentials to King Bhumibol Adulyadej on March 7.

Ibrahim said the Indonesian Embassy would organize a one-day seminar on April 4 to celebrate 55 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

"The seminar will review the diplomatic relations and what lies ahead," he said.

"I am inviting former minister of foreign affairs Ali Alatas to give the keynote speech."

Alatas is currently touring the African continent to extend the Indonesian government's invitation to attend the Asian- African Summit on April 22 and April 23 in Jakarta as well as the golden jubilee celebrations of the 1955 Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung, West Java, on April 24.