Thailand and terrorism

Thailand and terrorism

If the possibility of a terrorist attack on targets in Bangkok or
other parts of Thailand outside the Muslim-majority southern
provinces used to be a taboo subject, then perhaps now is the
time for society to shed its false sense of security and
fatalistic complacency.

The long-held notion that Thailand - a predominantly Buddhist,
peace-loving country - has been remarkably tolerant towards other
religious faiths, including Islam, and is therefore more or less
immune to large-scale terrorist strikes, was shattered after
almost 80 of the more than 1,300 Muslim protesters detained by
security forces after a riot died in captivity under dubious
circumstances.

According to the government, most of the detained protesters
died of suffocation or heat stroke or were crushed to death after
being crammed, hands tied behind their backs, into military
vehicles in order to be transported back to a military camp in
Pattani for interrogation.

The gruesome deaths, described callously by the Thaksin
administration as an "unfortunate accident", have attracted
widespread condemnation by many governments, international human
rights groups and Islamic organisations, as well as the wrath of
Muslims everywhere.

Suddenly, Thailand is repeatedly mentioned as a possible
target for international terrorist groups bent on avenging what
was described as the brutal and inhumane treatment of Muslims in
the deep South.

There are two different ways for Thailand to learn to cope and
even live with what is shaping up to be a long battle against
Islamic militancy: do nothing and hope that Thai society will
somehow be spared such an atrocity, or start getting ready now.

It's time for both the government and the public to get
organised and improve the nation's capabilities to deal with
terrorism.

-- The Nation, Bangkok