Global Voices Online

Dr. Farish Noor, prominent political writer and one of the leading expert in Asian Studies, recently interviewed the leader of BERSATU, a coalition of Muslim separatist organisations based in Southern Thailand that is made up of organisations like the BRN (National Revolutionary Front), PULO (Patani United Liberation Organisation), BIPP (Patani Islamic Liberation Front) and GIMP (Muslim Mujahideen Movement of Patani). Following the escalation of violence in the Southernmost provinces of Thailand since January last year, worldwide attention has been turned once more to Patani, a region that was swept by a wave of bloodshed during the 1970s and 1980s.

This article is a significant landmark, especially for blogging in Malaysia, as it is the first time that Dr. Wan Kadir, as the head of the coalition, has stated that Malaysia played no role in assisting or training the members of the separatist movement. This allegation has been a thorn in the Malaysian governments side for a long time, and this revelation is something that would be very welcomed. It helps debunk reports like these. Dr. Wan Kadir currently lives in exile in Sweden.

Read the full interview here, a first for a Malaysian blog, as Dr. Farish Noor, in a guest editorial, delves deep into the heart of the matter.