Shinawatra is accused of using heavy-handed tactics against Muslim residents in the south. (Reuters)

BANGKOK, February 15 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Thailand's cabinet approved Tuesday, February 15, the creation of a 12,000 soldier-strong infantry division to be permanently based in the predominantly Muslim southern provinces to foster what it termed better relations between the military and Muslim residents.

“This regiment is not to combat but to develop the region, thus staff must fully understand the tradition, culture of Thai Muslims before deploying in the area. But if necessary, we have to be sure that we have enough troops for combat operations,” Thai Defense Minister General Sumpan Boonyanun was quoted as saying by Agence France Presse (AFP).

The new division, expected to take shape within three months, would comprise three battalions including soldiers for medical services, development projects and outreach activities.

The regiment would draw a budget of up 18 billion baht ($470 million) for three years and would be headquartered in Pattani province.

The cabinet's approval came a day ahead of a three-day visit to the southern province by Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who won another nationwide landslide poll victory but with no single seat in the three violence-racked, far-south provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala.

Critics at home and abroad have accused Thaksin's government of using heavy-handed tactics against Thai Muslims.

On October 25, a total of 87 Muslims died after Thai troops broke up a protest at Tak Bai in the southern province of Narathiwat with tear gas, water cannon and gunfire.

The majority of victims suffocated or were crushed after being bound and left for hours on trucks.

On Tuesday, July 27, the government threatened to shut down some Islamic boarding schools in the south, claiming they are used as training camps for separatist fighters.

In April, security forces opened fire at Muslims, killing at least 107 young Muslims in the bloodiest day in the history of this troubled region.

Islamic Culture

The new military division, a third of which would come from the western region and the rest would be new recruits, would be educated about culture of the Thai Muslims before being deployed in the area, the Thai defense minister said.

“We want soldiers to live on the soil of the three provinces, primarily to develop the region and befriend the people,” Bunyanun said.

Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist nation but about five percent of the population is Muslim, and most live in the five southern provinces bordering Malaysia.

Muslims in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, the only Muslim majority provinces in the Buddhist kingdom, have long complained of discrimination in jobs and education and business opportunities.

The south was a rich Malay kingdom until it was overrun by the Buddhist kingdom of Siam in the late 16th century when it declared its full independence from its earlier status of semi-independence under the rule of the Thai kingdoms of Sukhothai and Ayutthaya.

In 1909, it was annexed by the Kingdom of Siam as part of a treaty negotiated with the British Empire.

Both Yala and Narathiwat were originally part of Pattani, but were split off and became provinces of their own.