Cambodians in JI terror link
Khmer Muslims 'join insurgents in South'
WASSANA NANUAM
Bangkok Post
A close aide to the prime minister has linked a group of Cambodian Muslims entering the country to the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorist group, saying this underlines the need for bilateral intelligence cooperation between Thailand and its neighbour. Gen Wattanachai Chaimuenwong, an adviser on security affairs, said many have joined the Gurakan Mujahideen Islam Pattani insurgent group.
Besides, he said there were frequent arrests of terror suspects in Cambodia.
Citing intelligence reports, Gen Wattanachai said numerous Cambodian Muslims have recently arrived in Thailand legally en route to finding jobs in Malaysia. However, there is no record of their departure from Thailand.
''We do not know exactly where they end up. Some go to religious schools and pursue religious studies in the deep South. They are believed to be scattered in ponoh schools,'' he said.
The Cambodian authorities are aware of JI movements in their country as there were frequent arrests of Cambodians with alleged terrorist links.
He raised the case of Hambali who was captured in Ayutthaya and was deported, saying the man was reportedly in Cambodia before his arrest.
However, he said Thai authorities failed to monitor the activities of those with JI links after Hambali's deportation.
''Even though I do not know where they are, I can say Cambodians with alleged JI links are now in the southern part of Thailand,'' he said.
Gen Wattanachai called on the government to cooperate in intelligence work with Phnom Penh in the fight against terrorism.
''We'd better cooperate in terms of intelligence because this [influx of Cambodians] is linked to the southern separatist insurgency,'' he said.
According to the former Third Army commander, many countries in Southeast Asia are under threat from JI.
In Burma, the group is slipping in Rohinya Muslim boat people while a relative of Sapae-ing Basor, one of the most wanted suspects, is setting up a network in Laos, he said.
Gen Wattanachai said the Surayud government is losing the fight against southern violence which could end up with part of the kingdom being lost.
''Our strategy is failing. If things go on like this, the international community will step in. And we will be like Aceh,'' he said.
He noted that there was not much progress on the planned dialogue with key leaders of insurgent groups.
He said that the United Nations had asked to look after children left orphaned by the southern insurgency through the Foreign Affairs Ministry. The request was turned down.
The Chanthaburi-Trat Task Force, which is in charge of the Thai-Cambodian border, is keeping a close watch on the movement of Cambodian immigrants, said local border sources.
It has found out that a key leader who stays in Pattaya has received large donations from the Middle East to fund the construction of Muslim communities and mosques.
According to sources, 8,488 Cambodian Muslim people entered the country through Poi Pet-Klong Luek checkpoint in Sa Kaeo province in 2005 and only 586 returned to Cambodia.
Last year, 7,270 entered the country and only 698 returned. Over the past five months, 2,790 arrived in Sa Kaeo and only 266 went back to their home country.
According to the sources, they told immigration authorities they were on their way to find jobs in Malaysia. The immigrants chartered passenger vans to take them to the deep South, which cost them about 1,000 baht per head.
Authorities have asked the van operators to help keep track of the passengers' movements and report if they cross the border to Malaysia.
A van driver said some of the passengers got off in Pattani planning to join fishing vessels as crew and the rest continued to a checkpoint in Sungai Kolok.
Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat said the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh has followed standard procedures in screening visa applicants.
He said the ministry must consult with security agencies if visa regulations are to be tightened. He said the ministry is verifying information about the arrival of Cambodians in Thailand.
Besides, he said there were frequent arrests of terror suspects in Cambodia.
Citing intelligence reports, Gen Wattanachai said numerous Cambodian Muslims have recently arrived in Thailand legally en route to finding jobs in Malaysia. However, there is no record of their departure from Thailand.
''We do not know exactly where they end up. Some go to religious schools and pursue religious studies in the deep South. They are believed to be scattered in ponoh schools,'' he said.
The Cambodian authorities are aware of JI movements in their country as there were frequent arrests of Cambodians with alleged terrorist links.
He raised the case of Hambali who was captured in Ayutthaya and was deported, saying the man was reportedly in Cambodia before his arrest.
However, he said Thai authorities failed to monitor the activities of those with JI links after Hambali's deportation.
''Even though I do not know where they are, I can say Cambodians with alleged JI links are now in the southern part of Thailand,'' he said.
Gen Wattanachai called on the government to cooperate in intelligence work with Phnom Penh in the fight against terrorism.
''We'd better cooperate in terms of intelligence because this [influx of Cambodians] is linked to the southern separatist insurgency,'' he said.
According to the former Third Army commander, many countries in Southeast Asia are under threat from JI.
In Burma, the group is slipping in Rohinya Muslim boat people while a relative of Sapae-ing Basor, one of the most wanted suspects, is setting up a network in Laos, he said.
Gen Wattanachai said the Surayud government is losing the fight against southern violence which could end up with part of the kingdom being lost.
''Our strategy is failing. If things go on like this, the international community will step in. And we will be like Aceh,'' he said.
He noted that there was not much progress on the planned dialogue with key leaders of insurgent groups.
He said that the United Nations had asked to look after children left orphaned by the southern insurgency through the Foreign Affairs Ministry. The request was turned down.
The Chanthaburi-Trat Task Force, which is in charge of the Thai-Cambodian border, is keeping a close watch on the movement of Cambodian immigrants, said local border sources.
It has found out that a key leader who stays in Pattaya has received large donations from the Middle East to fund the construction of Muslim communities and mosques.
According to sources, 8,488 Cambodian Muslim people entered the country through Poi Pet-Klong Luek checkpoint in Sa Kaeo province in 2005 and only 586 returned to Cambodia.
Last year, 7,270 entered the country and only 698 returned. Over the past five months, 2,790 arrived in Sa Kaeo and only 266 went back to their home country.
According to the sources, they told immigration authorities they were on their way to find jobs in Malaysia. The immigrants chartered passenger vans to take them to the deep South, which cost them about 1,000 baht per head.
Authorities have asked the van operators to help keep track of the passengers' movements and report if they cross the border to Malaysia.
A van driver said some of the passengers got off in Pattani planning to join fishing vessels as crew and the rest continued to a checkpoint in Sungai Kolok.
Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat said the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh has followed standard procedures in screening visa applicants.
He said the ministry must consult with security agencies if visa regulations are to be tightened. He said the ministry is verifying information about the arrival of Cambodians in Thailand.
3 comments:
Yes, it is important to maintain
bilateral cooperation at all time
and don't forget to keep keep a
close eye on Ah Khmer-Yuons
troublemakers.
The fucken Thaicong are getting scare now! ahahhahahha! I wonder if the fucken Thaicong ban those Muslim came from Malaysia or Indonesia too? ahahahhahahhahha
I told you the fucken Thaicong is playing double standard again and this time the Muslim around the world will not stand by seeing their fellow Muslim being abuse by the Thaicong! The Thaicong glory day is numbered!
The fucken Gietcong means Kill youns communists. Gietcong is the
word used by South Vietnam during
the vietnam war! ahahhahahha!
Thailand the nation of democracy,
so Thailand permit for freedom of
speeches.
Vietnam today(Communist Youn)is the
communist country and is the
dictatorship country under communist regime. ahahahhahahhahha
So I told you the fucken Gietcong
or youns (vietnamese) are the
China's ethnic people, so youns
culture and their old characteristic
letters are the same as those of
Chinese
No wonder that the tradition of
this Chinese ethnic people(youns
called by chinese and by Asians)
is that :
- vietnamese men in any country, most
of them are thieves or robbers
- and vietnamese women in any country,
most of them are prostitutes
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