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Thai Envoy Clarifies

7 December 2004, 18:00 PM
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
By Phithak Phrombubpha Ambassador Roal Thai Embassy, Dhaka
7 December 2004, 18:00 PM
I refer to write up published in "Letters to the Editor" in The Daily Star on 2 December 2004 titled "Unfortunate statement by Thai Quecn" by Mr Zahidul Haque. I must stress that the Royal Address by Her Majesty the Queen delivered on 16 November 2004 was in Thai and the interpretation read by Mr Haque in the article "Queen Urges Thais to Help Govt. Fight Muslim Unrest" by Reuters was incorrect and distrorted. At no time during Her Majesty the Queen's Royal Address or elsewhere did Her Majestry call upon the Southern Army Commander to train femals Buddhists to use guns or make any other comments encouraging the use of violence.

Her Majesty the Queen was gravely concerned with the increasing deaths and psychological harassment encountered by the Thais in the southern provinces and called upon the entire nation to form a 'spiritual' force of opposition to the 'brutal bullying' of innocent people in the southernprovinces. By no means did her Majesty the Queen call upon 'female Buddhists' or any other of Her subjects to take up arms. Her Majesty also urged the people to work together to ensure the happiness of all Thais, regardless of gender, race, age or religion At the Royal Address on 16 November 2004, Her Majesty appealed to all thais to use reason, show compassion and work together to ensure the swift and peaceful means in resolving the violent situation in the south.

I understand that erroneous translation could have led to this misinterpretation.

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