News Forum - Thai hostages secured release promise from Hamas post Gaza offensive

[Thaiger]

Thai captives held hostage in Israel by Hamas have been promised release upon Israel’s cessation of its Gaza Strip offensive. This assurance was provided to Thai negotiators by Hamas representatives, as relayed by Saiyid Sulaiman Husaini, a Thai Muslim leader and head of a Shia Muslims association in Thailand. The promise was made during a … …

The story Thai hostages secured release promise from Hamas post Gaza offensive as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

[Vigo]

Thai government really is deluded.  Hamas launches an attack, murders Thai nationals and then takes others hostage. Hamas and its allies continue to launch missiles and rockets at Israel and says that it will consider releasing hostages if Israel stops defending itself with a unilateral suspension of its targeting and destroying of Hamas facilities and personnel.

  Perhaps someone should explain to the government that in the real world, the criminals do not set the conditions. That may be the norm in Thailand, but not elsewhere.

[Fanta]

58 minutes ago, Vigo said:

Thai government really is deluded.  Hamas launches an attack, murders Thai nationals and then takes others hostage. Hamas and its allies continue to launch missiles and rockets at Israel and says that it will consider releasing hostages if Israel stops defending itself with a unilateral suspension of its targeting and destroying of Hamas facilities and personnel.

  Perhaps someone should explain to the government that in the real world, the criminals do not set the conditions. That may be the norm in Thailand, but not elsewhere.

You cannot blame the Thai government for trying. What do you expect the Thai Government to say to the families of the hostages? The message is clear - “this is out of our hands and they will come home when they are either rescued or released”

[HolyCowCm]

6 hours ago, Fanta said:

The message is clear - “this is out of our hands and they will come home when they are either rescued or released”

Or dead. And Hamas could give a rats arse about either or. I wonder how many of the Thai women were raped with the hamas small pecker. Not a celebration unless they gang rape.

[EdwardV]

6 hours ago, Fanta said:

You cannot blame the Thai government for trying. What do you expect the Thai Government to say to the families of the hostages? The message is clear - “this is out of our hands and they will come home when they are either rescued or released”

While I agree with what you write, it’s still somewhat disappointing considering a disproportionately large number of hostages are Thai. Sad all the way around. 

[Fanta]

7 minutes ago, EdwardV said:

While I agree with what you write, it’s still somewhat disappointing considering a disproportionately large number of hostages are Thai. Sad all the way around. 

Disappointing or expected? What would you have the Thai government say or do? 

imo, the only good thing any sitting Thai govt has done is lose an election. 

[Vigo]

Over the past decade, Thailand has had a relatively consistent policy in respect to terrorism and hostage taking: No abandonment of legal principles and no negotiation with terrorists holding hostages until the hostages were released. What I see now is a change in the government policy and a return to the Thaksin era policy of inconsistency that resulted in a flare up of Thailand's own terrorism problem in the South.

Prior to 2001, Thailand had always denied the existence of muslim terrorists or armed political secessionists (whatever term you wish to use). Following the  9/11 tragedy in 2001, and then the Bali bombing in 2002, multiple investigations showed that the terrorists and/or organizers had transited and or stayed in Thailand. Thailand was considered a safe haven. (This should not come as a surprise because Thailand was long implicated in large scale human trafficking and terrorist groups had trafficked people as a means of  income. The most notable example was the transit of Sri Lankan migrants through Thailand to Canada where thousands were dumped.) Once the fingers pointed at Thailand, there was an acknowledgement that yes indeed Jemlah Islamiyah had active cells in Thailand that were linked to the Bali bombing, and these cells were related to Al Qaeda. All of a sudden Thailand gave a flurry of activity. Much like the creation of a police box at a street corner after a catastrophic car crash, only to see the police box  unmanned a few weeks later. It was during this period that troubles in the south started to increase in number. In 2001 the  leaflets  supporting Osama bin Laden were circulating in Yala and there was a terror attack every 5 days or so. By 2003, the terror attacks at increased to about 3 a week. The issue that arose during this period was that one month there would be a denial of  terrorism, and then the next month an announcement that the government took it seriously. One week a grand statement of negotiations followed a few weeks later by an announcement of a crackdown on terror. 

In March 2003, Thailand declared itself neutral in the 2nd Gulf War. (Nothing wrong with that because other countries declared their neutrality too.) However, Thailand then reversed itself in April and  endorsed the US led action against Iraq. It was a classic Thaksin flip flop of policy. The terror activity increased. There was a slight decrease in 2006, after the coup that removed Thaksin, but then the terror attacks came in the  thousands. In 2009, Thailand had its first acknowledged beheadings when the Islamic jihadis decapitated 2 soldiers.  Finally, the military declared  terror an outright threat. It took until 2017 before  the terror events started to show as significant decrease. Since that time, successive governments have walked delicately not wanting to upset the large muslim population. (Fair enough, since most Thai muslims are indeed peaceful and do not support the violence.) There was however, a consistent policy and united front of no negotiating with terrorists. Now, the new government has changed course.  I suggest that this will once again embolden Thailand's southern radicals  and we will once again see trouble. Talking is good, but do it with the non violent legitimate  bodies, and they do exist in Gaza and they have been instrumental in helping many of the foreigners to leave Gaza.

[TheDirtyDurian]

1 hour ago, Vigo said:

Over the past decade, Thailand has had a relatively consistent policy in respect to terrorism and hostage taking: No abandonment of legal principles and no negotiation with terrorists holding hostages until the hostages were released. What I see now is a change in the government policy and a return to the Thaksin era policy of inconsistency that resulted in a flare up of Thailand's own terrorism problem in the South.

Prior to 2001, Thailand had always denied the existence of muslim terrorists or armed political secessionists (whatever term you wish to use). Following the  9/11 tragedy in 2001, and then the Bali bombing in 2002, multiple investigations showed that the terrorists and/or organizers had transited and or stayed in Thailand. Thailand was considered a safe haven. (This should not come as a surprise because Thailand was long implicated in large scale human trafficking and terrorist groups had trafficked people as a means of  income. The most notable example was the transit of Sri Lankan migrants through Thailand to Canada where thousands were dumped.) Once the fingers pointed at Thailand, there was an acknowledgement that yes indeed Jemlah Islamiyah had active cells in Thailand that were linked to the Bali bombing, and these cells were related to Al Qaeda. All of a sudden Thailand gave a flurry of activity. Much like the creation of a police box at a street corner after a catastrophic car crash, only to see the police box  unmanned a few weeks later. It was during this period that troubles in the south started to increase in number. In 2001 the  leaflets  supporting Osama bin Laden were circulating in Yala and there was a terror attack every 5 days or so. By 2003, the terror attacks at increased to about 3 a week. The issue that arose during this period was that one month there would be a denial of  terrorism, and then the next month an announcement that the government took it seriously. One week a grand statement of negotiations followed a few weeks later by an announcement of a crackdown on terror. 

In March 2003, Thailand declared itself neutral in the 2nd Gulf War. (Nothing wrong with that because other countries declared their neutrality too.) However, Thailand then reversed itself in April and  endorsed the US led action against Iraq. It was a classic Thaksin flip flop of policy. The terror activity increased. There was a slight decrease in 2006, after the coup that removed Thaksin, but then the terror attacks came in the  thousands. In 2009, Thailand had its first acknowledged beheadings when the Islamic jihadis decapitated 2 soldiers.  Finally, the military declared  terror an outright threat. It took until 2017 before  the terror events started to show as significant decrease. Since that time, successive governments have walked delicately not wanting to upset the large muslim population. (Fair enough, since most Thai muslims are indeed peaceful and do not support the violence.) There was however, a consistent policy and united front of no negotiating with terrorists. Now, the new government has changed course.  I suggest that this will once again embolden Thailand's southern radicals  and we will once again see trouble. Talking is good, but do it with the non violent legitimate  bodies, and they do exist in Gaza and they have been instrumental in helping many of the foreigners to leave Gaza.

The Tak Bai Massacre and Krue Se Mosque incident did not help relations between Thai government and Muslim community to put it mildly.