1. Regarding the attack at Al-Furqan Mosque, in Narathiwat, on 8 June 2009, the Royal Thai Government shares the sentiments of Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary-General of Organization of Islamic Conference, expressed on 9 June 2009, expressing regret and condemning the armed assaults on the Mosque, and the sorrow over the death of the Mosque’s Imam and the innocent victims.
2. It is however regrettable that in the heat of such tragic incident the comments by he OIC General Secretariat in drawing premature conclusions about the identities and nature of this attack could mislead the general public and further exacerbate the situation as the true identities of the perpetrators have not yet been established. The recent spate of violence, both past and recent, has in fact affected all sections of the population in the Southern Border Provinces. The Thai citizens both Muslims and Non-Muslims are all victims of such criminal acts.
3. The Royal Thai Government strongly condemns this despicable act of violence, and will spare no effort to bring the perpetrators of this criminal act to justice. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has expressed his concern and condolences that the current situation in the South has resurged and has instructed the relevant agencies to expedite the investigations. The Thai Government will also keep the OIC updated on the development of the matter so as to prevent any misunderstanding and misinformation in the future.
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th