Thailand's Muslims mourn death of spiritual leader

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/Policy-Politics/Thailand-s-Muslims-mourn-death-of-spiritual-leader

DON PATHAN, Contributing writer
Nikkei Asian Review

Sapae-ing Basor escort then PM Chuan Leekapi through school ground
during a visit in early 1990s. Between them is Haji Harun Sulong, the rector
of the school and Sapae-ing's father-in-lasw. (Courtesy of the Basor family).

YALA, Thailand -- Muslims in Thailand's southernmost provinces are bidding farewell to a prominent spiritual leader accused by Thai police of leading a separatist movement intent on carving out a homeland for ethnic Malays in the region.

Wartani News, a local media outlet, quoted family members of Sapae-ing Basor as saying he had passed away on Jan. 10 while living in exile in Malaysia. He died of a lung infection after being treated for diabetes and heart disease. He was 81.

About 2,500 people congregated on Monday morning at Thamvithya Mulnithi, a high school in southern Yala province where Sapae-ing served as principal until he fled the country in December 2004. Sapae-ing had been charged with treason by police over his alleged involvement in a series of attacks on police and military facilities in the region.