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
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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