THAILAND AND THE PAS

The Malaysian opposition Islamist party Pas^* is threatening to sue a Thai newspaper for a report alleging that the party has been inciting Thailand's southern Muslims to violence.

The questionable item was based on a leaked government intelligence report, which was printed in several other papers.

BANGKOK, Nov. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Thai intelligence agencies are accusing a Malaysian opposition party of fueling violence in Thailand's Muslim-dominated deep south, a local newspaper on Tuesday quoted a leaked report as saying.
The confidential report said the opposition Parti si-Islam Malaysia (PAS) is capable of mobilizing large number of Malaysian nationals to instigate violence in southern Thailand, said Thailand's English-language newspaper Nation, which acquired the document leaked by officials at Government House.
The report, based on information obtained at a seminar organized in Kuala Lumpur last week by PAS, has been forwarded to Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra last week, the newspaper quoted the official who leaked the document as saying.

The PAS has been openly supportive of southern Thailand's Muslims, and has repeatedly recalled that the southern provinces were once a part of Malaysia.

It also has a reputation for endorsing jihadis. During the war against the Taliban, it called for 'jihad.' At that time, it insisted that it was only calling for "peace, prayers and financial aid," although it added that it would not discourage members who wanted to fight against American and coalition forces.

That said, given Malaysia's own limits on political speech and draconian internal security act, it seems unlikely that anyone in Pas would be stupid enough to suggest abetting violence in a neighboring state - particularly in a public forum.

I imagine that there are many individual Pas members who are supporting, or who would support, Islamist separatists in southern Thailand - after all, there were Democrats in Boston who supported the Provisional IRA, – but I would disregard any reports of incitement by upper-level Pas authorities.

Pas want power and they have a significantly greater chance of acquiring it through the ballot box than by force. Strategically, they would have a lot to lose by actively supporting violence, whether it be at home or abroad.

I'm not usually a defender of the Pas. They are a bunch of loony moonbats who would likely destroy Malaysia's tourism and financial services industries (by banning alcohol, enforcing Islamic dress and probably banning interest). However, they are not likely exporting jihad to Thailand.

Prime Minister Thaksin has been rightfully roasted in the Thai press and in Parliament for letting the situation in the south deteriorate. Especially since the recent 'accidental' deaths of 85 rioters, most of whom passed away from complications arising from being horizontally stacked in lorries and beaten with rifle butts.

Given that the leaked government 'intelligence' report went to most major media outlets, I suspect that it was approved by someone reasonably high up in the government, probably as a way to take pressure off the prime minister. If that's the case, I would recommend to Thaksin that future leaks be of a more believable nature.

(^*The acronym Pas is taken from the proper Malay name for “Parti Islam SeMalaysia.' I assume someone in the group must have realized that calling the party 'Pis' would have been a truly bad idea.)