Thailand refuses to recognize Muslim language

[sonz]

Thai authorities refused to recognize a Malay dialect largely spoken in the Muslim-majority far south as an official language, Xinhua reported.

"We cannot accept that (proposal) as we are Thai. The country is Thai and the language is Thai," said Prem Tinsulanonda, the chief adviser to Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

"We have to be proud of being Thai and having the Thai language and the sole national language," he told reporters in the southern province of Pattani after meeting top religious leaders and Muslim youths.

Recognizing the Malay dialect as an official language was recommended by the National Reconciliation Commission, formed last year and led by former premier Anand Panyarachun, which warned in its last report that violence could surge in southern Muslim provinces if the government doesn’t change its tough policy against local Muslims.

The committee said that recognizing Malay as an official language could help bring peace and stability in the region.

The panel also urged the Thai government, which sent hundreds of troops to the Muslim-majority far south, to deploy an “unarmed unit” to contain the situation peacefully.

Many Muslims accuse the mainly Buddhist Thai authorities of a litany of abuses in the southern region where 80 percent of the population are Muslim, ethnic Malay and non-Thai speaking.

Thai Muslims also complain that the government discriminates against them and ignores their language and culture.

Several international rights group slammed Thai authorities for using force against Muslims in the south, where more than 1,300 people, mainly Muslim civilians, died since early 2005.

Thailand's three southern provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat were all an independent Muslim sultanate before being annexed a century ago.

AlJazeera

[north_malaysian]

They should follow Malaysia, one official language but encourage minorities to use their respective languages.

[Sis786]

They should follow Malaysia, one official language but encourage minorities to use their respective languages.

Agreed

[KAding]

They should follow Malaysia, one official language but encourage minorities to use their respective languages.

They are following Malaysia, no? Since the Thai government rejected this Muslim request?

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[lavikor201]

I think they just want Thai as the official language. It encourages national unity instead of seperation religious majorities in each region.

[KAding]

Yeah, it's obviously some nationalist issue :) So clearly haram ;).

[north_malaysian]

They are following Malaysia, no? Since the Thai government rejected this Muslim request?

I've observed that majority of Pattani Malays speak Thai, and practicing Islam (They are more religious than Malaysians). Plus there are millions of ethnic Thai nationwide are Muslims. Thai should be the official language. But the problem is, Pattani Malays are not encourage to use their language. The same applicable to Chinese too. Do u know that Thaksin is a Teochew Chinese?

[north_malaysian]

Yeah, it's obviously some nationalist issue :) So clearly haram ;).

They're several opinions about this nationalist thing. In Malaysia, almost all muslim clerics support Muslims to be patriotic (both government and islamist opposition).

[north_malaysian]

I think they just want Thai as the official language. It encourages national unity instead of seperation religious majorities in each region.

There are 6 millions Muslims in Thailand, comprises of - Malays (55%), Thais
(40%), Others (5% - includes Chinese, Indians, Cambodians, Laotians, Arabs and Vietnamese). My ancestors from my mother side have Thai ancestry, and they have been Muslims for centuries in Thailand. I'm the fourth generation live in Malaysia. But we assimilated to Malay culture and recognized by government to be Malays. I think there should be no problem for Malays to be recognized as 'Thais' in Thailand. They should be proud to be Thais. Indeed majority of them are proud to be Thais.

In my university years, most of international students are Muslim Thais. When one of them knew that I have Thai ancestry, he asked why I dont speak Thai. Then I ask him back, why dont u speak Malay? He smiled.

Conclusion

Thai rak Muang Thai

Melayu Cinta Malaysia

[Joe98]

"We are Thai. The country is Thai and the language is Thai," said Prem Tinsulanonda, the chief adviser to Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

They are Thai. Sounds fair to me.