Lund, Sweden
A prominent exiled Thai Muslim leader said he welcomed the government’s policy shift towards a softer approach in dealing with violence in the Malay-speaking deep South and urged local residents to work towards peace.
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| Wan Kadir Che Man, right, and Don Pathan in Lund, Sweden |
Concerning the ongoing violence, Wan Kadir said the government had been wrong when it considered the relatively quiet 1990s as a time of peace, when in fact the spirit of separatism has always been present in the area.
As long as there is a sense of injustice among the Malay-speaking minority the separatist struggle will always resurface, he said.
It appears that a new generation of insurgents has emerged and structured itself into a loose network of cells that operate independently, he added.
Unlike the previous generation of separatists who saw themselves as nationalists, the current generation of insurgents has employed more religious symbolism in their activities.
The religion of Islam, he said, had also become a source of comfort for many people in the Malay-speaking region during these troubled times.
Unlike past battles carried out between government security forces and separatist groups, this most recent wave of violence has driven a wedge between Muslim and non-Muslim communities in the region, said Wan Kadir.
The Pattani native, who went into exile nearly two decades ago, also reiterated his willingness to return to Thailand and work with the government and civil groups towards a peaceful outcome for the restive region, where more than 600 people have been killed since January last year.
However, the Western-educated academic said he would not permit himself to be a political tool for the state’s propaganda and added that he would not accept any conditions placed on his return.
Wan Kadir also said he would continue to speak out for the rights of ethnic Malays, whom he said were treated as “second-class” citizens.
He also expressed the same sentiment in an open letter on the ongoing violence. “The problem stems mainly from the fact that Malay-Muslims are discriminated against and are treated as internal-colonial subjects,” wrote Wan Kadir.
Wan Kadir said he did not regret having joined the separatist movement, saying his aim was only to advocate the rights of ethnic Malays in southern Thailand.
Wan Kadir, who now resides in Sweden, announced in May 2004 – while working as a university professor in Kuala Lumpur – that he no longer supported separatism for Thailand’s Malay-speaking region or the use of violence in pursuing such a goal.
His decision to give up separatism was a personal one and Bersatu continues to hold on to its current political outlook, he said.
Thai intelligence agencies regard Wan Kadir as a symbolic figure to whom the separatist movement looks for political direction and ideology, but they believe that he does not have direct control over armed insurgents on the ground. Wan Kadir agrees with this assessment.
He obtained a PhD at Australia National University and a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University in the United States.
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Bersatu leader calls it a day
The Nation
Published on July 04, 2005
A prominent Thai-Muslim leader in exile, Wan Kadir Che Man, 60, has announced his intention of stepping down from Bersatu, an umbrella organisation that groups a number of Pattani exile groups. He spoke to The Nation’s Don Pathan in a telephone interview from Sweden.
Q. Why have you decided to stand down as leader of Bersatu? Why now, amid an ongoing spate of violence in the Muslim-Malay region?
A. I’m an old man now, and I think its time to let a younger generation of people take over. Hopefully they can do a better job. With regard to the ongoing violence in the three southernmost provinces of Thailand, I want to make it clear that Bersatu does not have anything to do with it. Bersatu is an umbrella organisation that advocates civil and political rights for Malays in southern Thailand.
Do you have any regrets?
No. I believe in what I am doing. I believe in speaking out for my people even if it means my having to live outside my country. I thank my wife and children for their support and understanding, and I apologise to them for what I have put them through.
What is the biggest misconception people have of Bersatu?
As I’ve said many times before, we struggled for the recognition of the Malay people, our past, our identity and our self-respect; that is all. But people saw us as a threat because we chose to speak out. It should be understood that our demand for respect does not mean we were against the people of Thailand or the country. In fact, we share the same goal of a peaceful Muslim region in southern Thailand, not a separate state. Bersatu is not about using force. We do not have any military capability and do not control troops on the ground.
So what do you make of the situation in Thailand’s Muslim South, and how is it affecting the country as a whole?
From what I gather, the fabric of society that once held the common people, both Muslim and non-Muslim, together has been shattered. This is extremely sad. The ongoing violence will have a long and lasting impact. The longer we wait, the harder it will be for the country to repair the damage. In previous decades, fighting was mainly between armed separatist groups and security forces. Today bombs are going off, and officials are assassinated, and nobody is claiming credit. This is very different from the past. I want to see an end to this fighting and to the loss of innocent lives, and I hope that by resigning now I will have opened the way for a new generation of leaders who can play a more active role in stopping the violence there. The idea is for Malays to use the democratic process to empower themselves, so they can work with the rest of the country to chart their own future.
What will happen to Bersatu as a result of your resignation?
Bersatu is a coalition, and so it will be up to each of the member groups to decide what happens. The job of a Bersatu leader is to provide general guidance as to how the movement should progress.
What is uniting the Malay people in southern Thailand now?
The Malays are united by their cultural identity and a long history of resentment. They don’t see their region getting a fair share of the country’s wealth and development, and they don’t see their history being taught in school or their past being recognised by the country that they are supposed to be a part of. I think that if the state makes a concerted effort to bridge this gap, perhaps the tension will subside and both sides will begin to trust each another. For this to happen, all sides have to work together. Whether we are Buddhists or Muslims, we are all equal in the eyes of God. But this is not enough: we must be equal in the eyes of each other as well.
Officials have accused Islamic schools of being breeding grounds for separatism. What is your comment on that?
Because some of the leaders of today’s separatist groups have religious education, the government made the false assumption that the institution of Islamic education was at fault. Islamic boarding schools, locally known as pondok, have been accused of being breeding grounds of separatism. Officials unfairly singled out the institution of pondok, and this has created a great deal of resentment. Militant groups can train anywhere: it doesn’t have to be religious schools.
What does the future hold for you? What will you do now?
I’m an old man now, as I said, and all I wish to do now is be allowed to live in peace with my family and retire, but I will continue to make myself available to other people, be they academics, government officials, civil society or whoever. I hope to see peace restored in my homeland and see my people live in peace within my lifetime.
