Africa | America | Asia | Australasia | Europe | India | Middle East | UK | US

Thai Muslims warn of 'unexpected' incidents in response to Gaza

Posted : Tue, 06 Jan 2009 04:30:06 GMT
By : DPA
Category : Asia (World)
News Alerts by Email ( click here )
Asia World News | Home
Bangkok - Hundreds of Thai Muslims on Tuesday staged a second day of demonstrations outside the Israeli embassy to Bangkok, warning of "unexpected" incidents around the world unless Israel ceases its attack and occupation of the Gaza Strip. About 700 members of the Muslim Group for Peace rallied in front of the embassy wearing "Stop Gaza Slaughter" T-shirts and waving banners reading "Boycott Israel" and "Israel is the Real Terrorist."

"Muslim Group for Peace and Thai peace lovers severely condemn the barbaric behavior of Israel and call for Muslim leaders to get involved and solve the problems in order to stop Israel violating the International Agreements," the group's leader Mureed Teemasean said in a prepared statement.

"If the situation has been ignored it may result in many unexpected incidents to the world," he warned.

Mureed also called on the Thai government to take a stronger stance in criticizing Israel's invasion of Gaza that has claimed more than 500 Palestinian lives.

The group, which organized a similar protest outside the embassy on Monday, then burned Israeli and US flags in front of the Ocean Tower II Building which houses the Israeli embassy on the 25th floor.

Muslims are a minority in Thailand, accounting for about 5 per cent of the population which is predominantly Buddhist.

An exception is Thailand's three southernmost provinces - Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala - where 80 per cent of the 2 million people are Muslim.

The area has been the scene of constant violence since January, 2004, when Muslim militants attacks an army arms depot and stole about 300 war weapons, prompting several bloody reprisals on the rebels that inflamed local antagonism against authorities.

Clashes, bombs, assassinations and beheadings have claimed some 3,000 casualties in the area over the past four years.

The three provinces comprised the independent Islamic sultanate of Pattani more than 200 years ago before it fell under Bangkok's rule.

A separatist struggle has simmered in the area for decades.

Copyright DPA

Share/Save/Bookmark

Article : Thai Muslims warn of 'unexpected' incidents in response to Gaza
Print this article
Email this article

Stay Updated
News gadget on your Google homepage
Subscribe to a news feed in Google Reader


Related News

French delegation arrives in North Korea
Seoul - A French delegation headed by former culture minister Jack Lang arrived in North Korea on Monday, the North Korean News Agency KCNA reported. French President Nicolas Sarkozy dispatched Lang on a five-day information and research mission to...

Palau probes suspected money laundering by Taiwan's ex-president
Taipei - The Pacific island nation of Palau is probing suspected money laundering by Taiwan's ex-president Chen Shui-bian, Taiwan television reported Monday. Cable TV channel TVBS, in a dispatch from Palau, said Chen is suspected of routing 40 millio...

Five Philippine police officers killed in communist rebel attack
Manila - Five police officers were killed Monday in an attack by communist rebels in an eastern Philippine province, a regional military commander said. Two police officers were also injured in the ambush in Bulan town in Sorsogon province, 390 kilom...

Six security personnel among 17 killed in Pakistan violence - Summary
Islamabad - Seventeen people, including five soldiers and a policeman, were killed Monday when Taliban militants targeted security personnel with a suicide bombing, rocket attack and a roadside blast in the restive north-western region, officials sai...

Vietnam dissident ends hunger strike
Hanoi - A jailed Vietnamese dissident who was reportedly near death after a monthlong hunger strike has begun eating, his wife said Monday. Vu Van Hung, a 43-year-old high school teacher, was sentenced to three years in prison and three years of prob...

One killed, 82 injured in Indonesia quake - Summary
Jakarta - One person was killed and 82 people were injured when when a powerful earthquake struck Monday off Indonesia's Sumbawa island, officials said. Dozens of homes and other buildings were damaged in Bima district of West Nusa Tenggara province ...

Teen killed, 35 injured as Hong Kong bus overturns - Summary
Hong Kong - A 17-year-old girl was killed Monday and 35 other passengers injured, seven of them critically, when a double-decker bus overturned in Hong Kong. The bus, which some witnesses said was speeding, toppled onto its side on a roun...

Have your Say
Name
Email
Subject
Your Comment

Enter Verification code
 
  

 

 

More Asia (World) News click here
Follow The Earth Times
Subscribe to RSS Follow Earth Times on TwitterNews by email
Share/Save/Bookmark

 
 



 
Subscribe to free Earthtimes
News Alerts by Email Click here
For RSS Feeds Click here
or Create your own RSS

Add to Google Toolbar
Breaking News
Press Releases

 


The Earth Times
News Category

© 2009 www.earthtimes.org, The Earth Times, All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy
Earth Times accept no responsibility or liability either directly or indirectly for views or opinions expressed in articles or comments.