OIC Secretary General concludes visit to Thailand, OIC Press Release, 3 May 2007

From OIC Website:

            Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, at the head of a high-level OIC delegation, concluded a 2 - day official visit to the Kingdom of Thailand in the period from 30 April to 1 May 2007, having been invited by the Royal Thai Government.

The Secretary General was received by the Thai Prime Minister, General Surayud Chulanot; the President of the Council for National Security, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Nitya Pibulsonggram; and the Minister of Interior, Mr Aree Wongayara, and other senior Thai Officials. In addition to his discussions with senior Thai Government officials, the Secretary General also held discussions with the former Prime Minister of Thailand and former Chairman of the National Reconciliation Commission, Mr Anand Panyarachun, a former Foreign Minister, Dr Surin Pitsuwan. He also visited the Foundation of the Islamic Centre of Thailand (FICT) and held discussions with representatives of the Muslim community.

During his discussions with the Thai officials, the Secretary General expressed the OIC’s concern over the situation in the troubled Southern Border Provinces. He encouraged the Thai authorities to accelerate the ongoing process of accountability as a means of building confidence among the local Muslim population, and to grant the people greater responsibilities over their own affairs within the ambit of the Thai Constitution. The Secretary General welcomed the assurances of the Thai Government on its determination to address the root causes of the problem in the Provinces.

The Thai authorities also intimated the OIC delegation of their plans to provide educational facilities in the region where Islamic subjects will be included in the curriculum and Muslims will be allowed to apply Sharia law on family related cases. Upon the request of the Secretary General, the Thai authorities gratefully announced a general amnesty for those involved in the violence in the Southern Border Provinces. Another decision had been made earlier to drop charges against the protesters arrested during the Tak Bai incident. The Secretary General welcomed these assurances and gestures and expressed the willingness of the OIC to contribute to the process of confidence building in the region.

At the conclusion of the visit, a joint press statement was issued by the Secretary General and the Foreign Minister of Thailand. Both of them praised the existing cordial relations between the OIC and the Government of Thailand and resolved to further deepen cooperation. They expressed concern about the loss of lives among Thai citizens, Muslims and non-Muslims and reiterated that violence should not be used as a means of solving problems.

The Secretary General expressed deep appreciation to the Thai Government for the warm hospitality accorded to the OIC delegation.