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Getting A Grip On The Terror Threat Updated:2004-10-29 15:21:53 MYT If the possibility of a terrorist attack on targets in Bangkok or other parts of Thailand outside the Muslim-majority southern provinces used to be a taboo subject, then perhaps now is the time for the society to shed its false sense of security and fatalistic complacency. The public needs to get out of its old mindset that identifies only the diplomatic missions and business interests of the United States and its allies in the Iraq war as likely terrorist targets. The general feeling has been that any attempted terrorist attack against foreign targets on Thai soil is a remote possibility as long as the authorities place security cordons around known targets. If the volatile situation in the South is any indication, then the public had better start learning about terrorist threats and how to deal with them, and they must learn fast. The long-held notion that Thailand - a predominantly Buddhist, peace-loving country - has been remarkably tolerant towards other religious faiths, including Islam, and is therefore more or less immune to large-scale terrorist strikes, was shattered after almost 80 of the more than 1,300 Muslim protesters detained by security forces after a riot died in captivity under dubious circumstances. According to the government, most of the detained protesters died of suffocation or heat stroke or were crushed to death after being crammed, hands tied behind their backs, into military vehicles in order to be transported back to a military camp in Pattani for interrogation. The protesters had been rounded up after a bloody crackdown that left several people dead in front of the Tak Bai police station, where the protest took place. The gruesome deaths, described callously by the Thaksin administration as an "unfortunate accident", have attracted widespread condemnation by many governments, international human rights groups and Islamic organisations, as well as the wrath of Muslims everywhere. Suddenly, Thailand is repeatedly mentioned as a possible target for international terrorist groups bent on avenging what was described as the brutal and inhumane treatment of Muslims in the deep South. Thailand, which can be said to be at an advanced stage in its struggle against the home-grown terrorist threat in the southern provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, must not take lightly the possibility of international Islamic militant groups joining forces with their Thai counterparts to widen the conflict and take the fight to Bangkok and other cities outside the Muslim South. There are two different ways for Thailand to learn to cope and even live with what is shaping up to be a long battle against Islamic militancy: do nothing and hope that Thai society will somehow be spared such an atrocity, or start getting ready now. The first way is no longer a viable option given the situation Thailand now finds itself in. That leaves us with the need to get ready. And there is no better way to do it than to learn from the experience of others with a view to building up general preparedness and necessary mechanisms, such as anti-terrorist forces and emergency services, to effectively respond to large-scale terrorist attacks, particularly those against civilian targets, if and when they should happen. It's time for both the government and the public to get organised and improve the nation's capabilities to deal with terrorism. The first step is for the government to tighten security, including stationing visibly armed and well-trained troopers at public places, from bus terminals, railway stations and the airport to government offices and public buildings. In order not to cause panic, members of the public must be educated about the clear and present danger of terrorism and how individuals can contribute to public safety by staying vigilant. For example, people should be told to be on the lookout for suspicious items left unattended in public places and report them to the authorities. The government and the public must work together to redefine national security in the face of a constant threat from terrorism and develop necessary strategies and tactics to address the new and unmet challenges. After all, it only takes a few, well-coordinated terrorist attacks to wreak havoc on an economy and society. The need to get prepared for the challenges of terrorism cannot be emphasised enough. We, as a society, ignore them at our own peril. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> $9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything. http://us.click.yahoo.com/J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 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