US embassy cable - 05BANGKOK7014

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 BANGKOK 007014 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR R, P AND EAP/MLS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/08/2015 
TAGS: EAID, KDEM, PHUM, PREL, KMPI, KPAO, TH, Southern Thailand 
SUBJECT: COMBATTING EXTREMISM 
 
REF: STATE 159129 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR RALPH L. BOYCE:  REASON: 1.4 (D) 
 
1. (C) Summary:  The ongoing insurgency in the southern three 
provinces is the most significant manifestation of extremism 
in Thailand.  The problem is primarily ethnic and to some 
extent separatist in its origin, rather than sectarian, 
although international, radical Islam is having an effect, 
building its influence through internet, media, and 
education. Violence and extremist rhetoric in the south is 
not directed, for the most part, at the US.  Over the past 
year, some of the violence has been directed at religious 
symbols or individuals.  The USG has a wide range of programs 
to build tolerance and counter extremism and  violence. 
These programs are making a modest contribution, but the 
problem will certainly be long-term and cannot be solved 
without a more coherent and effective approach by the Thai 
government.  Although the Thai government has supported 
efforts, such as the National Reconciliation Commission, that 
could have a significant impact in lowering tensions in the 
affected area, its inconsistent policies and periodic appeals 
to nationalism undermine these efforts.   End summary 
 
2.  (S)   The problem of extremism in Thailand differs from 
that in many of the other countries of the region.  Between 
5- 10 percent of the population of the country is Muslim, 
with most of the rest Buddhist.  The three southernmost 
provinces of Thailand, which have a majority ethnic 
Malay/Muslim population, are now the site of a serious 
insurgency.  This problem is primarily ethnic and to some 
extent separatist in its origin, rather than sectarian, 
although there appears to be an increasing effort by 
separatists to try to stoke religious tensions,  It is fueled 
largely by historical, local grievances over perceptions of 
unfair treatment by the Thai government, corruption, and 
poverty.  The often heavy-handed, response by the Thai 
security forces to unrest has exacerbated the problem. 
Historically, periodic unrest in the South was linked to 
concerns typical of minority groups:  unequal access to 
state-funded benefits, the desire to maintain language/ethnic 
identity, and, to some extent, a desire to redraw 
colonial-era national boundaries -- in this case, to become 
part of Malaysia or an independent sultanate.  The current 
unrest has its roots, to varying degrees, in these continuing 
problems, but is also influenced by the newer phenomenon of 
international, radical Islam.  Some Thai Muslims returning 
from study in the Middle East and South Asia are propagating 
fundamentalist beliefs and advocating violence; the internet 
and other media are connecting Thai Muslims to organizations 
advocating extremism.  While there is no evidence of direct 
involvement by major international terrorist groups in the 
insurgency, organizations such as Jemaah Islamiyah have 
contacts with southern Malay Muslims and have attempted to 
spread their ideology.  The Thai government has not yet 
formulated policies that adequately counter this new threat. 
 
3. (SBU) The USG supports a number of programs to counter the 
rise of extremism.   The widest range of programs are funded 
and managed by the Public Affairs Section, as detailed below: 
 
American Corners: opened ACs in Pattani, Yala and Nakorn Sri 
Thammarat; post regularly conducts DVCs with the three ACs in 
the south; long term; in existence since 2004; audiences 
primarily university students and faculty; effective as a 
programming venue and for giving students additional 
opportunities to learn more about the U.S.;  audience size: 
potentially thousands 
 
Shared Futures:  post is distributing 3,000 education 
kits/book bags to students, and 1,200 sewing machines to 
adult women, who will receive training by a local NGO in Nov. 
2005; distribution ceremony for education kits included a 
presentation on multi-culturalism in the U.S., including 
Islam in the U.S. short term program July-Nov. 2005; 
audiences primarily students for book bags and adult women 
for sewing machines; effectiveness not yet assessed; audience 
size 4,200 
 
IV Program:  5 out of 28 participants in FY05 Muslim; 11 out 
of 28 nominated participants in FY06 are Muslim; special IV 
alumni conference in Pattani to discuss "Peaceful Change" 
held in Sept. 2004; single country program (SCP) developed 
for April 2006 on "Multiculturalism in the U.S." with 6 
participants; long term; audience primarily adults who are up 
and coming leaders in Thai society, and increasingly focused 
on minorities in Thailand; very effective program at 
countering misunderstanding about U.S. society and people; 
audience size: 28 grants per year   multiplier effect. 
 
Fulbright:  EAP/PD gave post $200,000 to pass to the 
Commission for southern outreach; short term project - 
2003-2005; audience primarily Muslim, or those living in 
Muslim areas with a commitment to return there; Fulbright 
very effective at creating long-term mutual understanding; 
audience size: 4 grants   multiplier effect 
 
U.S. Speakers:  post regularly sends U.S. speakers to the 
south to lecture and hold discussions with academic and 
community audiences; programs have included Dr. Dennis 
Sandole on "Conflict Resolution"; Mr. Elmer Ransom on 
"Peaceful Change"; Imam Rahmat Phyakul on "Muslim Life in 
America"; Ms. Tayyibah Taylor introduced concepts of 
pluralism and multiculturalism to students and community 
activists; educated young Thai Muslim audiences about life as 
an American Muslim woman and importance of religious freedom; 
shared peaceful strategies for dealing with religious and 
cultural diversity and how to strengthen civic tolerance; 
short term programs with long-term impact; ongoing; audiences 
include a wide spectrum of Thai society; effective at 
supporting core MPP goals and objectives; audience size: 
several thousand persons; tens-hundreds of thousands if 
covered by media. 
 
Embassy Speaker Program:  post officers travel around 
Thailand talking about some aspect of American life; CAO has 
traveled extensively to regional universities, including the 
Muslim south, to talk about "Study in the U.S., and American 
Society and Values; short term programs; ongoing; audiences 
include a wide spectrum of Thai society, but especially 
youth; effective at promoting mutual understanding; audience 
size: hundreds/thousands. 
 
Ambassador,s Fund for Cultural Preservation:  FY03 grant to 
document and preserve southern textile patterns; FY04 grants 
to document and preserve international influences on Islamic 
religious architecture in southern Thailand; short tem 
program; audiences include communities where preservation 
takes place and those interested in Thai heritage; effective 
at promoting mutual understanding; audience size:  thousands. 
 
Democracy Commission/Small Grants Program:  small grants have 
been given to local NGOs working in Muslim areas; projects 
include translating the Thai constitution into Yawi, 
promoting community radio, and helping teachers develop civic 
education curricula; short term; audiences include a wide 
spectrum of Thai society; effective at supporting indigenous 
groups to combat extremism; audience size: hundreds/thousands. 
 
Book Donations:  collections of books with U.S. themes have 
been donated to educational institutions in the south; long 
term; audiences are primarily students; effective at 
providing audiences with alternate information about the U.S. 
and the outside world; audience size: thousands. 
 
Publications:  post translated the U.S. Bill of Rights into 
Yawi and Thai and distributed to schools throughout the 
south; post has distributed more than 8,000 copies of Thai 
and Yawi versions of "Muslim Life in America" to mosques and 
schools; post has translated and just distributed 5,000 
copies of "The Rights of the People" in Yawi and Thai; long 
term; audiences are primarily students, mosques and community 
leaders in Muslim communities in Thailand; effective at 
providing audiences with alternate information about the U.S. 
and the outside world; audience size;  thousands. 
 
English Language Programs:  150 English language scholarships 
have been given to Muslim high school students in the south; 
English Language Fellows are assigned to Hat Yai and Nakorn 
Sri Thammarat and conduct workshops in the south to improve 
English teaching; grants have been given to high school 
students to attend English camps; grants have been given to 
teachers to attend seminars on English teaching; short term; 
audiences are high school boys and girls in Muslim areas; 
effective at giving disadvantaged youth a chance to begin 
English language study, which will lead to other exchanges 
and opportunities to communicate with Americans; audience 
size: hundreds 
 
Media:  as part of a TV coop program, ITV carried a 12 part 
series on "The Muslim Electoral Vote in America"; short term; 
2004; audience is all sectors of Thai society, especially 
Muslim areas; post is translating Shared Stories coop footage 
from other countries about Muslim Life in American into Yawi 
and providing tapes to Channel 11 Yala, the only station 
broadcasting in the south in the local dialect, reaching 
about 67% of all viewers; effective at introducing audiences 
to Muslim life in America and enhancing understanding of the 
U.S. ) reaching the very audiences we want to reach -- 
young, Yawi-speaking Muslims in the increasingly radicalized 
south of Thailand; audience size:  potentially hundreds of 
thousands/millions 
 
Cultural Presentations:  August 2005 Jesse Dayton Band 
performed at PSU Pattani music festival and Nakorn Si 
Thammarat music festival to introduce audiences to American 
cultural forms; Toni Blackman hip-hop group will come in Feb. 
2006 and will perform at PSU Hat Yai; short term; audiences 
are thousands of young Thai in urban and provincial areas; 
effective at introducing Thai youth to various American 
cultural art forms and giving them an opportunity to interact 
with real Americans; audience size; thousands in person and 
potentially millions when covered by media. 
 
4.  (SBU)  USAID is also involved in administering several 
programs (using ESF funds) to combat extremism. 
 
Media training.  The $500,000 project will expand and improve 
objective media coverage of social and political developments 
throughout Thailand, with particular attention to broader, 
accurate coverage of minority concerns, regional 
developments, and social conflict.  This program is just 
beginning; long term; audience size: hundreds directly 
involved, with multiplier effect. 
 
Civic Education.   This $500,000 program will be implemented 
through the Asia Foundation and will provide support to help 
build citizen engagement in and commitment to moderate, 
democratic values and institutions.  The project will focus 
on efforts in three key areas -- local government, 
universities and Islamic schools.  This project is just 
beginning; long term; audience size: thousands. 
 
Training for Security Forces 
--------------------------------- 
 
5. (C)  The inability of the Thai security forces to counter 
the insurgency without recourse to the excessive use of force 
and human rights violations is one of the most intractable 
problems in the South.   Mistakes and abuses by the security 
forces have led to probably hundreds of deaths and have 
fueled the cycle of violence in the area.  The police lack 
the necessary skills to adequately investigate the scene of 
insurgent attacks and correctly identify perpetrators.  The 
USG has several programs to address these shortcomings. 
 
Human Rights training for military.  Since late 2004, post 
has been cooperating with the Defense Institute of 
International Legal Studies (DIILS) so that military training 
programs (JCET, IMET, and Counternarcotics) include more 
comprehensive human rights training for military forces 
before they deploy to the South.   This program is too new to 
assess yet, but we believe that, in general, additional human 
rights training for the security forces is a good investment. 
 Long term; audience size: thousands 
 
Forensics.  ILEA (International Law Enforcement Academy) 
provides training in post-blast investigation.  NAS is 
preparing to increase support for forensics training for 
police and expects to have a larger training program in place 
by the end of 2005.  Short term; audience size: dozens. 
 
Thai Government Efforts 
------------------------------ 
 
6. (C)  The Thai government has undertaken efforts to combat 
extremism in the South.  The most prominent was the 
establishment of the National Reconciliation Commission, 
which includes over forty prominent Thais (including ethnic 
Malay Muslims), led by a well-respected former Prime 
Minister.  Members of the group are preparing a report making 
recommendations for government policies to address unrest in 
the South; many have also written newspaper articles 
otherwise participated in the public debate over the best 
responses to the current unrest.  The government has 
increased development funding to the affected regions.  It 
has, in recent years, worked with the Ministry of Education 
and the local religious schools to ensure that students are 
taught the national curriculum, receiving comparable 
education to students in other parts of the country.  Many 
religious schools receive financial support from the RTG. 
 
7.  (S)  However, RTG statements and policies are 
inconsistent.  The government alternates between statements 
emphasizing reconciliation and those emphasizing the need to 
punish communities that support insurgents, or urging the 
military to take a harder line.  In 2005, the security forces 
have not repeated the mistakes that led to a large number of 
ethnic Malay Muslim casualties at the Krue Se Mosque and 
following the demonstrations at Tak Bai in 2004, but some of 
the unsolved killings in the region are committed by security 
forces, according to credible evidence.   Tensions between 
Thai Buddhists and ethnic Malay Muslims are high in the 
affected areas, and there is strong anti-Muslim feeling 
throughout Thailand as a result of bloody insurgent attacks, 
including the murder of monks and other innocent civilians. 
The appeal to nationalism by some in the government, 
including the Prime Minister, exacerbates this problem. 
 
NGO activities 
----------------- 
 
8.  (C)  Thailand has an active community of non-governmental 
organizations, both indigenous and international.  Many are 
seeking ways to contribute to building understanding and to 
improving the RTG's overall respect for human rights, which 
will be a key element in addressing many of the grievances of 
the minority in the South.  No NGO is spearheading a large, 
effective response to extremism; there is a patchwork of 
local efforts, the impact of which post is not in a position 
to assess. The embassy is aware of the following groups and 
individuals from the ethnic Malay Muslim community that we 
believe can have positive influence in that community. 
Groups: 
1)    academics in universities with large Muslim populations 
2)    Santichon Islamic School 
3)    Thai Muslim Women,s Foundation of Thailand 
4)    Thai Muslimah Volunteer Group 
5)    Tha-It Suksa Islamic School 
6)    Ramkhamhaeng University Muslim Student Club 
7)    Thammasat University Muslim Student Club 
8)    Dhurakijpundit University Muslim Student Club 
9)    Saas-sanu-patham Islamic School, Pattani 
10)   Attakeya Islamic School, Narathiwat 
11)   Friends of Thai Muslim Women, Pattani 
12)   Provincial Islamic councils 
13)   Prince of Songkhla University (PSU) 
 
Individuals: 
1)    Mr. Prasert Massaree, Director, Santichon Islamic School 
2)    Ms. Wallapha Neelaphaijit, Chair, Islamic Centre of 
Thailand 
3)    Ms. Khunying Saengdao Siamwalla, President, Thai Muslim 
Women Foundation of Thailand 
4)    Dr. Chaiwat Sata-anan, Faculty of Political Science, 
Thammasat Univ 
5)    Prof. Arin Sa-idi, head, American Studies Program, PSU 
Pattani 
6)    Prof. Bordin Waelateh, Faculty of Humanities and Social 
Sciences, PSU Pattani 
7)    Dr. Ismail Alee; Director, College of Islamic Studies, 
PSU Pattani 
8)    Dr. Surin Pitsuwan; Member of Parliament and former 
Foreign Minister 
9)    Prof. Suchet Mahrem, Vice President, Yala Rajabhat Univ 
10)   Mr. Worawit Baru, Vice President, PSU Pattani 
11)   Mr. Matsukee Daka, teacher, Saiburee Wittaya Islamic 
School, Pattani 
12)   Mr. Phaisan Toryib, school manager, Attarkiah Islamiah 
School, Narathiwat 
13)   Ms. Fatima Waesama-air, principal, Jariya Islam 
Suksa-anusorn School, Pattani 
14)         Mr. Praman Mooktaree, Central Islamic Comittee of 
Thailand and Secretary of the Chiang Mai Islamic Committee. 
15)   Ahmad Somboon Bualuang, former PSU Professor and 
current National Reconciliation Committee member. 
 
BOYCE