JEDDAH, 23 February 2005 — The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has appealed to the government of Thailand to put an end to the “persistent bloody acts of violence” perpetrated against Muslims in southern Thailand.
The appeal was made in a statement here on Monday following a meeting OIC Secretary-General Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu had with Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, chairman of the 10th Islamic Summit Conference.
Professor Ihsanoglu expressed “serious dissatisfaction at the situation which continues to remain bad despite appeals made by the OIC and the international community to the Thai government to end the violations that have claimed the lives of hundreds of people.”
The OIC secretary-general renewed his appeal to the government of Thailand about the need to conduct a “just and urgent” investigation into the causes of such incidents and put an end to them. He stressed the need to give due importance to achieving economic and social development in southern Thailand without discrimination.
During the meeting Professor Ihsanoglu and Badawi discussed a number of issues relevant to the Muslim world, including the situation of Muslims in Arkane, in Myanmar, and the incidents in southern Thailand.
