Thais Rally Against US Strikes on People of Afghanistan by Phairath Khampha 31 October 2001 Ordinary Thais from the north to south of Thailand burned the US flag and effigies of US President George W Bush to protest at US-led attacks in Afghanistan and defended the al-Qaeda network, saying that it was a bastion against American corporate-engendered neo-colonialism, poverty, oppression and the modern sexualization of women that has led to sex slavery in Thailand. Groups Thais also held a peaceful but noisy demonstration in front of the American Embassy in Bangkok on October 10, 2001, calling for an end to Washington's military operations against the people of Afghanistan. The crowd rallied on Wireless Road and chanted the slogan: "All Muslims are brothers and unite as if we share the same body. When one part is hurt, the others feel pain." Buddhist monks, Christian priests and nuns, as well as Muslim Thais called on the United States and Britain to stop attacking Afghanistan and fight terrorism with non-violent means of justice instead. They carried posters claiming that America was waging a war against all Muslims and disseminating false propaganda about Saudi-born Osama bin Laden, the man blamed for planning the attacks on New York and Washington in September. They also stated that American geopolitical objects were aimed at protecting American economic interests and the interests of large American corporations. As such foreign relations are aimed at destabilizing efforts towards demoncracy in developing countries because the people of undemocratic countries are easier to control and less likely to make expensive wage demands of these corporations and less likely to attack American interests in those countries. "We are here to express our views in accordance with the Thai Constitution, the teachings of the Buddha and the Koran. We are pursuing Jihad [holy war] to bring truth to the world community," said protest leader Amean Hamesene, a Thai Muslim. "But it does not mean we will use weapons to support bin Laden. Muslims never protect wrongdoers," he shouted. "Please bring him to justice in a proper court that is free of American pressure if you have evidence to prove he was behind the atrocity in the US. Don't bomb the already destitute people of Afghanistan." During the hour-long rally Islamic scholars and Thai students delivered speeches in front of the demonstrators and invited them to pray for the protection of the people in Afghanistan. But they were refused permission to hand over a statement condemning the attacks to US Ambassador Richard E Hecklinger. The statement also accused the US government of forcing the mass media to disseminate propaganda painting "an infamous picture" of Muslims and people in Third World countries. The Thai media did not go unscathed. It was attacked for using negative phrases like "Muslim extremist" when referring to terrorists. The Thai media was seen by ordinary Thais to kowtow to American interests. Most Thais consider their economic and political elite to be concerned only about protecting their own interests and enriching themselves on the new world order established by the United States, which sees ordinary people in developing countries marginalised. The group urged international communities to condemn the US military operation and called on all people around the world to pray to protect the world, notably communities in Afghanistan. Protest leader Amean said his group and other Islamic organisation were considering sending assistance to Afghan war victims, but he declined to elaborate. The group represents Muslim communities in Bangkok and adjacent provinces. Islam is the second biggest religion in Thailand, with the majority of Thai Muslims living in the South. They are known to be relatively moderate politically. Muslim communities said they would not use violence to oppose the strikes on Afghanistan but would use peaceful religious methods, such as praying for God to protect the victims of war. The Central Islamic Committee held a prayer rally at its Bangkok headquarters the following day. Meanwhile in southern Thai province of Narathivat, local Muslim politician, Mohammad Samsudin Assama-aeh said Muslims in five southern provinces should keep a close eye on the Thai government's policy on the Afghan war because it was obvious the United States had put huge pressure to accept its demands of Thailand--or else. Buddhists and Christians join Muslims in march for peace A group of more than 50 Buddhist monks, Christian priests and nuns, as well as Muslim people called on the United States and Britain to stop attacking Afghanistan and fight terrorism with non-violent means of justice instead. The group first gathered at Bangkok's Lumphini Park to observe five minutes of silence in mourning for the hundreds of innocent victims, in Afghanistan, mainly women and children, who were killed in the fourth bombing wave in the armed conflict between the US and the Taliban regime of Afghanistan. The demonstrators then marched on the US and British embassies to appeal for peace. They also handed a 180-m long cloth banner bearing their message for peace to officials of both embassies. Pairin Chotesakulrat, who represented the group, said all parties to the conflict should stop using violent means for the sake of innocent people living in areas under attack. "We absolutely disagree with terrorism as well as all forms of violent retaliation," said Ms Pairin. "We are saddened by the US decision to use military forces because violent retaliation will only bring an endless cycle of revenge," she said. As the demonstration went on in front of the British embassy, police arrested three Bangladeshi nationals who were videotaping and taking photos of the event. The three _ Bimore Kantibarua, Asoke Barua and Tabus Barua - claimed they were tourists who had just arrived from Japan and were seeking a visa to enter New Zealand. Police took their photos and fingerprints before releasing them. Their films were seized for further investigation. Police later admitted they took this action under orders from British diplomats. Meanwhile, Yala governor Kitti Kittichokewattan met representatives of the Muslim Youth Association of Thailand, and urged the association to refrain from using any violence in its campaign against US air strikes against Afghanistan. Wisit Ta-edin, of the association, called on the government to protest to the UN over the US attacks, saying America should avoid violence in its campaign against terrorism or the armed conflict could spread beyond control. Thais hold protests from North to South Thais in the north and the south of Thailand on October 19 burned the US flag and effigies of US President George W Bush to protest at US-led attacks on the people of Afghanistan. The protest in Songkhla province came after a seminar in which most speakers condemned the US attacks, which were aimed in part at hunting down Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect in the September terrorist strikes in the US. The seminar, entitled Why the US bombs Afghanistan, called for Thais in Thailand to pray for world peace. Panellists argued that bin Laden's al-Qaeda network was not a terrorist network as claimed by the US. The incident in Chiang Mai began more peacefully, with a representative of the US consulate coming out to receive a protest note. The note argued that the US and British attacks in Afghanistan were killing innocent people including women and children, and to those people it was in effect nothing more than a terrorist attack on them. The demonstrators then marched to the British consulate, where there was a rather more cowardly reaction than at the U.S. consulate; no one came out to receive the protest note, making some young members of the crowd angry. They proceeded to burn a US flag. In Bangkok, a religious group conducted a peaceful demonstration in front of the US Embassy. They prayed for those who were killed during the September attacks in New York and Washington and then submitted a letter to President Bush containing "principles to establish world peace", which indicated that bombing mainly innocent people was the best way to ensure there would never be world peace. At Government House, another religious group, consisting of Buddhist, Christian and Muslim representatives, submitted a letter to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The letter asked the premier to reconsider his decision to support the US in attacking Afghanistan and not to allow the US to use the U-Tapao airbase in Chon Buri province and the Takhli airbase in Nakhon Sawan province.