KUALA LUMPUR, January 10,2004 (IslamOnline.net)

By Kazi Mahmood, IOL Southeast Asia correspondent

KUALA LUMPUR, January 10 (IslamOnline.net) – Terrorized by the latest spree of mass arrests and a crackdown on Islamic schools by the Thai authorities, scores of Muslims, including scholars and leaders, are either hiding or fleeing south Thailand.

"The Thai government is using the recent attacks on soldiers as a reason to order mass arrests and impose fear on Muslims in south Thailand, causing many innocents to flee their homes," a Pattani teacher, who wanted to remain anonymous, told Islamonline.net Saturday, January 10.

"This is pure persecution and the intent is to link the majority of Muslims to terrorism in a bid to get support from the U.S.," he stressed.

"Many Muslims in the south are now thinking of moving out of the region, possibly seeking refuge in Malaysia’s Kelantan state,” he added.

Professor Yusuf Najid, who used to work in the Islamic School in Yala, told IOL that many of "the top Thai Muslim leaders have already left the country over the years, now living either in the Middle East, Malaysia or some where in Europe.

"They were persecuted by the military and the government and now it is public persecution," he charged.

The detention on Thursday, January 8, of religious school teacher Muhammad bin Haji Wae Sahoh and his neighbor Sunthi Isma-ae, who senior officials said were members of the separatist Bersatu network, has persuaded many other religious teachers that they could be arrested without charges, the Nation newspaper quoted a local Muslim leader as saying.

Ibrahim Narongraksakhet, head of Prince of Songkhla University's Islamic Studies Department, said the arrest of Muhammad would affect the morale of Thai Muslim students who were studying abroad.

"Many of them will be reluctant to return home for fear of being suspected of being involved in a terrorist network," Ibrahim was quoted as saying by the Nation.

He said the detention and questioning of Muslim leaders could spark anti-government feelings among local people.

Images of armed-to-the-teeth soldiers raiding mosques, houses and schools in search of suspected militants have scared and frustrated Muslim, many fearing they would be labeled "terrorists ".

"The Thai military is proving to be more than harsh, they are being brutal and they do not even care about children or old folks, they enters houses and they arrests people with brutality, its awfully scary," the Pattani teacher said.

Thai authorities declared martial law after the Sunday attack, which killed six officials.

Officials may now search and detain anybody without a warrant. Some 30 people have taken to a military base in Narathiwat for questioning.

Professor Yusuf said the Thai government has always failed to provide evidence against Muslims arrested for terrorism.

Police had fanned an already uneasy feeling among local Muslims when they raided again the Burna Baan Tohnor School, the owner of which was arrested last year on suspicion of being linked to Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).

Officers terrified students as they took their fingerprints without an explanation, the Nation quoted headmistress Masaka Abduloh as saying.

Police claimed the search was necessary because witnesses had allegedly seen people run into the school after attacking a police booth two kilometers away, she added.

Battle Move To Malaysia

Thailand has in fact asked Malaysia to arrest 18 Muslims suspected of involvement in the bloody attacks in the south, the Nation paper reported Saturday quoting military sources.

A list has been handed to Malaysia containing the names of suspected members of the Bersatu separatist network by Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai, who was in Kuala Lumpur Tuesday.

Justice Minister Pongthep Thepkanchana said after meeting with Malaysian Home Affairs Minister Chor Chee Heung that Malaysia had detained suspects who crossed the border after the Sunday attack, but he declined to confirm if they were the ones wanted in Thailand.

Malaysia is cooperating closely since it is concerned that the weapons stolen in Narathiwat may slip into its territory, Pongthep said.

Malaysia has beefed up security at both normal and "occasional" border crossings, he said without elaborating.

"It is clear that the Thai authorities are using this to harass the Muslims, now they want Malaysia too to give a helping hand in arresting Thai’s who lives there," said the Pattani teacher.

However, Former foreign minister Surin Pitsuwan said Friday, January 9, that the government should avoid involving other countries in its anti-separatist campaign in the predominantly Muslim southern provinces.

He said it could prove counter-productive for the government to enlist the help of other countries, said the Nation.

Surin questioned the wisdom of asking Malaysia for help in the hunt for suspects and requesting that Indonesia keep an eye on Thai students who might be involved with Islamic militants.