[Dean's World] Mary Madigan: Talking to snakes

[notify at powerblogs.com]

Posted by Mary Madigan:
Talking to snakes
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1157563394.shtml


   The Muslim insurgency in Thailand is responsible for [1]1,730 deaths:

     BANGKOK, Thailand - Nearly two dozen bombs exploded almost
     simultaneously Thursday inside commercial banks in southern
     Thailand, killing one person in a region bloodied by a Muslim
     insurgency, police said.

     The homemade bombs, which were triggered by mobile phone signals,
     were placed in garbage bins, at newspaper stands and near seats
     where customers wait for service in the banks in Yala province,
     said Maj. Gen. Paithoon Choochaiya who heads the provincial police.

     One person was killed and 27 people were injured in the bombings,
     said Maj. Gen. Woraphong Siewpricha, deputy police chief in the
     south. Four suspects were detained.

     A review of close-circuit video showed that some of the explosives
     were planted by women, police said.

     Some of the apparently small devices were hidden in women's
     handbags or inside books carried by teenagers in school uniforms,
     said Lt. Gen. Ongkorn Thongprasom, the army chief in the south.

     "We received some intelligence reports, but we did not anticipate
     it would happen inside banks, especially on the last day of the
     month. We don't believe they are that cruel," he said.

   Hate makes people do strange things, especially the hate that's being
   [2]exported by our Saudi and Kuwaiti allies. It is the ultimate WMD.

   According to the [3]Guardian (one of the few news outlets covering
   this story)

     The prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, has taken a hard line with
     the insurgents but that has failed to stop the conflict. The
     country's army commander, General Sondhi Boonyaratkalin, said last
     week that the government should rethink its strategy and engage the
     insurgents in dialogue rather than just arresting or killing them.

     "Currently we are hitting the snakes at their tails, and that never
     makes snakes die," he said. "The strategy must be to talk with the
     snakes. It is necessary to talk to make lasting peace."

   That sounds like a quote worthy of Kofi Annan.

References

   1. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060831/ap_on_re_as/thailand_southern_violence
   2. http://whataretheysaying.powerblogs.com/posts/1127419559.shtml
   3. http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1864584,00.html