Bismillah [hidayahnet] 100 Thai Muslim Teachers Arrested Since October: Report

Wed, 21 Sep 2005 04:57:46 -0700

100 Thai Muslim Teachers Arrested Since October: Report

Human rights watchdogs accused the Thai army of "violent breaches of human rights" against Muslims.

Bangkok , September 14, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) - More than 100 Muslim teachers in southern Thailand have been detained by police without charge since October of last year, a Malaysian newspaper learnt Tuesday, September 13.

"More than 100 religious teachers were arrested and questioned over offences which they claimed they did not commit," teacher Mohd Zain Daud told Utusan Malaysia.

They have been targeted because of their "highly political minds" and ability to influence the Muslim minority in demanding their rights from the Thai Government, he added.

"In the eyes of the authorities, religious teachers must be detained to prevent them from influencing Muslims from demanding their rights," he added. 

Mohd Zain added that things became worse since the introduction of the Emergency Act.

On July 18, the Thai government declared emergency rule across in the Muslim majority provinces in the country, granting police massive powers ranging from imposing deadly curfews and banning public meetings to tapping phones and holding suspects without charge for up to 30 days.

The sweeping powers drew fire from the press and activists as a recipe for more violence in the south.

Nearly 900 people have died in the unrest in Thailand's southernmost provinces since January 2004, according to unofficial statements.

Exodus

Separately, scores of Muslims are still hiding or fleeing the south to escape arbitrary arrests by police.

Some 131 Thai Muslims crossed into Malaysia 's northeastern Kelantan state last month, saying they feared for their safety in southern Thailand , Thailand 's The Nation newspaper reported Wednesday.

Villagers accused the police of killing an imam and took to the streets to protest the killing.

After being threatened with charges of obstructing justice, many decided to flee their homes for Malaysia . Others from nearby districts joined them in the exodus, the paper added.

Locals told IslamOnline.net in earlier interviews that the Thai government was using  attacks on soldiers as a pretext to order mass arrests of Muslims, sending many into panicky flight.

Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist nation but Muslims make up about five percent of the population and mostly live in the five southern provinces bordering Malaysia .

Critics at home and abroad have accused the Thai government of using heavy-handed tactics against Thai Muslims.

The International Crisis Group (ICG) stressed in May that the Thai government's failure to address injustices and open a genuine dialogue with Muslim leaders in the south is the real reason behind unrest in the country.

Thailand 's national rights watchdog also accused the army of "violent breaches of human rights" against Muslims in the south.

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