THAI MUSLIMS EXPECT INDONESIA'S ROLE IN PEACE PROCESS IN THE SOUTH

Bandar Lampung, 21 Rajab 1434 / 31 May 2013 (MINA) – Thai Muslims expects Indonesia to actively help the peace process in the conflict area of southern Thailand.

The Thai scholar Muhammad Bennui, told Mi’raj News Agency (MINA) after the closing event of student exchange program between Indonesia and Thailand at Puteri Islamic Boarding school in Bandar Lampung, Wednesday (29/5).

“Indonesia has enough experience to resolve conflicts such as in Aceh and other places,” said Bennui, who is also the leader of Thayai Wittaya School, Hadyai Thailand.

According to Bennui, Indonesia with its various ethnicities and languages, could live in peace. “The Evidence of religious tolerance in Indonesia is very high,” he said.

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He added that Muslims in Thailand was actually coexist peacefully with people of the other faiths.

“We live together with the Buddhist, chinese, and Christians, we get the same rights as citizens, though we are Muslim minority. The majority of Thai people are Buddhists, which is about 90 percent,” Bennui added.

However, the different situation in Southern Thailand which includes 85 percent of Muslims, where conflict has been heating up between Military forces and small Muslim separatist movement.

Therefore, he hoped that the role of Indonesia in seeking peace in the largest areas of Muslims in Thailand.

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About two million people live in the southern areas, 80 percent of them are Malay and Muslims. Most of Muslims there stuck between the two-parties conflict.(L/P03/E1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)