"Peace actually already prevails in the society of different beliefs in the southern region of Thailand but certain small groups are still trying to ignite conflicts in that region," he said when receiving a group of 17 Muslim journalists from Southeast and South Asian countries in Bangkok on Monday.
According to Tale, much more information on how Indonesia settled the prolonged conflict in Aceh where conditions of harmony and peace had been restored , should be obtained and learned. "This is certainly an inspiration for us, something we need to learn in our efforts to resolve the conflict in Southern Thailand," he said.
Furthermore, Indonesia had made better progress in solving the insurgency in Aceh by granting the region special autonomy to meet the local people`s aspirations. "Vut perhaps Thailand is not in a position to adopt a similar policy because this country can not change its constitution, " he said.
"If we change the constitution, it should be done through a referendum, " he explained.
In fact, Muslims in the Southern region of Thailand could live in harmony with their brothers of different beliefs. The Thai government had also applied the Islamic system of education like Pondok (boarding schools) while the Muslim community also had their representatives in the parliament and also in the government.
There are about 65 Muslim representatives in the parliament and within the police, army and the government sector as well as in the courts.
However, reports by foreign media about the Thai government`s policy on the Muslim society in the southern part of the country were still bad. "This is the reason , the Thai government frequently invites foreign journalists from some predominantly Muslim countries to come here to see the real condition of coexistance and peace in Southern Thailand, " the executive director of the Thai Foreign Office, Wanna Vuthiaporn, said.
About the familiarization trip program to Thailand, she said was designed to create a better understanding about Thailand among Muslim journalists in all areas between Thailand and the Muslim world.
The program would also lead to media networking between the Thai government`s Public Relations Department (PRD) and media organizations in the Asian region.
This year, about 17 media representatives from seven countries in South and Southeast Asia had been invited to Thailand. They represented BSS News Agency and the Ministry of Information of Bangladesh, the Prime Minister`s office, the Information Department and Pelita Brunei of Brunei Darussalam, Punjab Kesari of India, Antara News Agency and Tempo Magazine of Indonesia, TV3, Bernama and Utusan Melayu of Malaysia and Channel NewsAsia of Singapore.
The 17 journalists, according to Wenna , would spend three days in the deep South on June 14-16 2011 to get first-hand information about the local situation and see what was being done to develop the southern regions.(*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
