Malaysia to assist southern Thais with education, not mediation
"...Malaysia agreed Thursday to launch several programs with Thailand to lift the social economic standing of Thai Muslims in the conflict-riddled south, but it will not play a mediator role to end the violence there...The roots of the violence, he said, are not a clash of religions between Muslims and Buddhists. The former are a minority overall but dominant in southern Thailand, which shares a border with Muslim-majority Malaysia. "The Muslims and Buddhists have lived in the area peacefully for a long, long time. This [conflict] has a lot to do with social-economic problems," Syed Hamid said. Malaysia agreed to offer vocational training to youths from southern Thailand as well as scholarships for education. Malaysia also offered to impart its brand of moderate Islam to southern Thailand, teaching how to incorporate religious studies into school curricula and administration of religious affairs..." - Kyodo News, Thursday March 22, 8:05 PM
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I find this interesting, 'religious studies' incorporated into school curricula for Thailand. Think of the integration of religion with a nation's socio-economic situation. I really wonder at the wisdom of compartmentalising issues that were meant to be viewed much more wholistically, and at the feasibility of making 'religious studies' into simply an educational program.
Okay. Here's my dilemma: South of Thai is conflict-riddled right now, and Malaysia has stepped in to offer help. How? By imparting 'religious studies' meant only for education and not mediation. Yet the roots of violence (that led to the need for Malaysia to step in to offer help in the 1st place) are not the clashing of religions (that's what they say). So how is this a solution for Thais? And how can education void of the intention of mediation be of any value to resolve socio-economic conflicts?
[janice mentally measuring the percentage of help we're really giving Thailand]
*shake head* Tak faham lah! Perhaps Someone could shed some light where I'm seeing only darkness...
"...Malaysia agreed Thursday to launch several programs with Thailand to lift the social economic standing of Thai Muslims in the conflict-riddled south, but it will not play a mediator role to end the violence there...The roots of the violence, he said, are not a clash of religions between Muslims and Buddhists. The former are a minority overall but dominant in southern Thailand, which shares a border with Muslim-majority Malaysia. "The Muslims and Buddhists have lived in the area peacefully for a long, long time. This [conflict] has a lot to do with social-economic problems," Syed Hamid said. Malaysia agreed to offer vocational training to youths from southern Thailand as well as scholarships for education. Malaysia also offered to impart its brand of moderate Islam to southern Thailand, teaching how to incorporate religious studies into school curricula and administration of religious affairs..." - Kyodo News, Thursday March 22, 8:05 PM
---------------------------------------------
I find this interesting, 'religious studies' incorporated into school curricula for Thailand. Think of the integration of religion with a nation's socio-economic situation. I really wonder at the wisdom of compartmentalising issues that were meant to be viewed much more wholistically, and at the feasibility of making 'religious studies' into simply an educational program.
Okay. Here's my dilemma: South of Thai is conflict-riddled right now, and Malaysia has stepped in to offer help. How? By imparting 'religious studies' meant only for education and not mediation. Yet the roots of violence (that led to the need for Malaysia to step in to offer help in the 1st place) are not the clashing of religions (that's what they say). So how is this a solution for Thais? And how can education void of the intention of mediation be of any value to resolve socio-economic conflicts?
[janice mentally measuring the percentage of help we're really giving Thailand]
*shake head* Tak faham lah! Perhaps Someone could shed some light where I'm seeing only darkness...
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1 comment:
ooohhh... we're getting into political commentary now are we? heehee...
It's all just one big show to me:
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/HB08Ae01.html
"...Kuala Lumpur is playing a delicate balancing act between domestic pressures to intervene in the conflict and wider regional considerations to refrain from interfering into the internal affairs of its neighbor. It is unlikely that Kuala Lumpur will directly support the insurgents in southern Thailand. What is more likely is Malaysia using the conflict to improve its image domestically and in the wider Muslim world"
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