December 4, 2004

Muslim focus remains fixed on Tak Bai

Thailand's future relations with Islamic countries could hinge upon what action the government takes after receiving a report on the Tak Bai tragedy from the probe committee appointed by the prime minister

By SARITDET MARUKATAT

The panel chaired by former parliamentary ombudsman Pichet Sunthornpipit has been tasked with handing in its investigation into the Tak Bai tragedy within weeks, and everyone, including Islamic countries and the international community, are waiting to see what measures will be taken to punish those responsible for the tragedy.

The deaths of 85 southern Muslims _ especially the 78 people who died while in military custody _ during and immediately after the Oct 25 rally at Tak Bai police station in Narathiwat, has already put the government in a difficult situation regarding its ties with the Islamic world. That includes two Muslim-dominated members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations: Malaysia and Indonesia.

Trying to strengthen ties with Muslim nations has been on the government's foreign policy agenda since Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra took control of the country's administration after leading his Thai Rak Thai party to a landslide electoral victory four years ago.

The government translated this policy into action in 2002 by surprisingly ordering a re-investigation into the case of Saudi diplomats and a Saudi businessman who went missing between 1990 and 1991. It showed an attempt to restore normal relations with the oil-rich kingdom which was badly soured by the case, which culminated in no Saudi ambassador being posted to Thailand and no Thai workers allowed to enter Saudi Arabia.

The 2002 panel, formed and led by Justice Minister Pongthep Thepkanchana, still has no clues which would shed new light on on the missing Saudi citizens, who are believed to have been murdered. This has surprised no one, but at least the government hoped re-opening the case would show its intention of mending fences with Saudi Arabia.

Islamic countries are important if the government is to accomplish Mr Thaksin's brainchild project: the Asia Cooperative Dialogue. Mr Thaksin and Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai know the scheme cannot live up to its name so long as its footing does not cover the entire continent from countries in the Middle East to Pacific-rim Asian nations.

Six of the Middle East countries _ Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Iran and the United Arab Emirates _ already are in the 26-member forum. The more the better for the Thai government.

The oil-rich region also presents trade and investment opportunities for the Thai Rak Thai-led government, which wants to adjust the trade strategy by shipping exports more to new markets instead of relying only on traditional orders from Asean members, the United States, Japan and the European Union. The prime minister even visited Bahrain two years ago to pursue the policy and to lure the cash-rich Gulf state to invest in the Islamic Bank of Thailand.

But the bloodshed in Tak Bai district of Narathiwat could jeopardise the plan. What happened at the recently concluded Asean summit in Vientiane clearly illustrated that the Foreign Ministry's explanations to ambassadors and diplomats four days after the incident has proved insufficient to clear the international community's doubts.

The incident also prompted Mr Surakiart to call Abdelouahed Belkeziz, secretary-general of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, to explain by phone and the 57-member OIC also sought explanations from the Thai consul-general in Jeddah.

Domestic politics in Malaysia and Indonesia may play a part in the two countries' eagerness in pushing for more satisfactory answers from Thailand. Southern Muslims in the southernmost Thai provinces are historically and culturally close to Malaysia's northeastern states bordering Thailand and also with those in Aceh on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

But Islamic countries extend their feelings of brotherhood to all Muslims regardless of nationality and what has most affected them about Tak Bai is that the tragedy took place while Islamic peoples all over the world were observing the fast of Ramadan.

Pressure from Islamic countries, as well as human rights advocacy groups and other nations, has been on the inquiry committee from the beginning. This pressure will pass on to Mr Thaksin when the committee hands over its report to the prime minister.

Simply reiterating that the deaths were unfortunate and unintentional, and without any further effort to punish those in the wrong, may well not be enough to dispel doubts or restore confidence among Islamic countries with regard to strengthening their ties with Thailand.