SOUTHERN VIOLENCE: THAI MUSLIMS SEEK REFUGE IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 005706 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/MLS PACOM FOR FPA (HUSO) E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/05/2015 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER TH SUBJECT: SOUTHERN VIOLENCE: THAI MUSLIMS SEEK REFUGE IN MALAYSIA REF: A. 04 BANGKOK 8377 ¶B. 04 KUALA LUMPUR 4806 Classified By: Political Counselor Susan M. Sutton. Reason 1.4(d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The flight of 131 Muslim-Thais from a rural village in Narathiwat province, across the border into Malaysia, has embarrassed the Thaksin government and threatens to further strain relations between Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. The possible involvement of UNHCR in the incident will further complicate RTG efforts to portray the situation in southern Thailand as purely a domestic issue. This incident is not altogether surprising given the porous nature of the border and the intimate ties between the populations on both sides. However, the publicity surrounding the "refugees" is another propaganda victory for militants and will be held up by Thaksin critics as another example of Thaksin's policy failures in the South. END SUMMARY 131 FLEE AFTER ANOTHER SHOOTING -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On August 30, a group of 131 Muslim villagers from Narathiwat province fled into neighboring Kelantan Province in Malaysia, according to press and RTG sources. The 131 were reportedly detained by Malaysian officials and are being kept at a holding facility. Members of the group were quoted as saying they crossed over into Malaysia following the shooting death of a local Muslim cleric in the Ban Rahan village in Narathiwat. Muslim leaders in Narathiwat have publicly blamed Thai security forces for killing the cleric and said the villagers fled out of fear of additional attacks from Thai authorities. (NOTE: The RTG has denied any role in the shooting. END NOTE) EMBARRASSMENT OVER "INTERNATIONALIZATION" -------------- ¶3. (C) The Prime Minister told the media that the government would coordinate with Malaysian officials to "make sure the incident does not become a political issue." Thaksin blamed separatist insurgents for encouraging the villagers to cross over into Malaysia as an attempt to "internationalize" the conflict. Of added concern for the RTG are reports that the UNHCR representative in Malaysia will meet with the group to determine their status. During a September 6 conversation with poloffs, a Thai MFA official echoed the Prime Minister, indicating that the RTG was very concerned over any UNHCR role and the potential of "internationalizing" the problem. "It would be a terrible thing if UNHCR intervened," the MFA official said. He said they are working closely with the Malaysian government to defuse the situation, but MFA was clearly dissatisfied with the Malaysian response to the incident. COMMENT -- A POROUS BORDER -------------- ¶4. (C) The publicity surrounding the apparent departure of the 131 Muslims is an embarrassing development for the Thaksin government and has the potential to further strain relations between Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. In the past, Thaksin's public missteps when dealing with Kuala Lumpur regarding the situation in far southern Thailand irritated the Malaysians to various degrees. The public nature of this latest development has the potential to be another such situation for the two neighbors and complicates Thai efforts to portray the violence plaguing far southern Thailand as purely a "domestic" matter. ¶5. COMMENT CONT. The fact that people are illegally crossing the border into Malaysia is not surprising. The border between Narathiwat and Kelantan is easy to cross without official interference and the populations on both sides have deep historic, ethnic and religious ties -- as well as practical everyday links (reftels). (NOTE: A local district official told emboffs that following the August 30 incident the Thai government has been clamping down on "non-official" crossing points in an attempt to stop other people from fleeing into Malaysia. END NOTE) Although we do not believe this incident presages a flow of "refugees" from Thailand into Malaysia, it clearly poses a delicate political problem for Thaksin. This is a propaganda victory for militants, while Thaksin critics are already citing the "refugees" as another example of Thaksin's policy failures in the South. END COMMENT ARVIZU