[Tlc] surayut's apology

[justinm at ucr.edu]

FYI from Bonnie Brereton.
Thanks,
justin

>From The Nation, Nov. 2 evening

Surayud issues Tak Bai apology

Surayud said he came to apologise on behalf of previous and
present
governments. Muslim leaders hailed Surayud's statements.

Pattani - Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont made an emotional
plea to
the residents of the Muslimmajority region and publicly
apologized for
the death of at least 85 people who had taken part in the Tak Bai
demonstrators two years ago.

"I came here to apologize to you on behalf of the previous
government
and on behalf of this government. What had happened in the
past was
mostly the fault of the state," Surayudh told a packroom of about
1,000 local residents from all walks of life in this Muslim
majority
region who came to greet him.

"We must look for ways to work together. I came here today to
extend
my hand to you and to tell you that I was wrong. I came to
apologize,"
said Surayudh who was greeted by a big round of applause for
what was
billed as a long over due apology.

In his first visit to the Malay-speaking in his capacity as
the prime
minister, Surayud stressed the need for reconciliation and "to
move
forward as a nation."

He told the audience that he was one of the people who went
against
the hardline policy of the Thaksin government but failed to
change the
administration's mindset.

"I tried to counter their policy but I had failed," Surayudh said.

A well known cleric and rector of Yala Islamic College, Ismail
Lutphi
Japakiya, hailed the statement as "one of the most important
key that
will lead to the solving of the problem in the region."

"I hope the God that he will have the strength to follow
through with
his effort to reconcile the nation," Lutphi said.

Family members of the Tak Bai victims were said to have wept.

Tuan Bukharee Tokkubaha, a senior imam in Pattani's Muang
district,
said Surayud's statement "brought tear my eyes".

"It really moved me. I had goose bump all over," Bukharee
said. "Today
he has won so much hearts and minds of the Malay Muslims. I
don't know
what the future holds but this is definitely a good starting
point,"
he added.

Chairman of the Islamic Committee of Pattani, Waeduramae
Mahmingji,
said the apology was "first step towards reconciliation."

A leading academic form Prince of Songkhla University in Pattani,
Worawit Baru, said the apology was long over due but nevertheless,
better late than never.

"I couldn't understand why it has taken so long for the political
establishment to apologize for the atrocities even though the
civil
servants were indicating that it was acceptable. But I have to
give
this government credit for doing so," he said.

A Mor 5 student, Saadah Thalawi, 16, described Surayud as a
"brave man
for apologizing". "I thought he was very sincere," she added.

Abdulaziz Yanya, the leader of the traditional pondok
association in
the three southernmost provinces, said Suraudh's message was a
complete reverse compared to the previous administration.

"The former prime minister (Thaksin Shinawatra) was just too
harsh,"
Abdulaziz said.

Nidir Waba, a leading cleric who was recently appointed as an
advisor
to the Surayud, said he was also touched by Surayudh's
emotional plea.

"Where can you find a man like this?" Nidir asked.

Of the 85 death, at least 78 Tak Bai demonstrators had died from
suffocation after security officials stacked them one on top of
another on the back of military trucks.

The tragedy drew a storm of criticism and condemnation from the
international community, especially the Islamic world.

But the yesterday meeting was billed by the locals and
officials here
as a major breakthrough. Surayud delayed his departure and
stayed on
for three more hours to listen to complaints from the residents in
what became a townhall meeting with the prime minister.

Many praised his message of reconciliation, while others
pointed to
more specific issues, such as unemployment, lack of proper health
facility at the tambon level, as well as the need to
strengthen the
local economy and uplift the livelihood of the local residents.

Surayud, an exarmy commander who was appointed the interim prime
minister on October 1 following a coup, urged the local
community to
give the reestablished Southern Border Provinces
Administrative Centre
(SBPAC) and help him purge corrupted officials.      He also
reached
out students and the younger generation, telling them to seize
the day
and make the most out of their lives.

"Forty years ago when I was your age, I, too, makes mistake.
But you
have your whole life ahead of you," he said.

In reaching out the religious community, Surayud vowed to
strengthen
the institution of Islamic court, known as Sharia, and promised to
work with the cleric in building more competent Islamic judges.

by Don Pathan

The Nation

______________
Dr. Justin McDaniel
Dept. of Religious Studies
2617 Humanities Building
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
951-827-4530
justinm at ucr.edu