How did Southern Thailand become the new safe haven for the Muslim Brotherhood?
Southern Thailand has become the new safe haven for the Muslim Brotherhood
A significant struggle is underway within the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood group, following Turkey’s reconciliation with Arab countries, prompting Turkey to expose the Brotherhood and expel its members. For months, members of the Brotherhood have been trying to find a safe haven for themselves after leaving Turkey and Qatar.
Countries in Southeast Asia are considered a good haven for the group’s members since the Brotherhood has significant popular bases there. Moreover, these countries are far from the region’s countries that reject the presence of the Brotherhood and combat their terrorist activities. Thailand, a popular tourist destination, is one such country.
Thailand: The safe haven
Estimates of the Muslim population in the Kingdom of Thailand vary, ranging from 10% to 15% of the total population of around 45 million people. The Muslim population is concentrated in the south, specifically in the provinces of Pattani, Yala, Songkhla, and Narathiwat. Most of them are of Malay ethnic origins. A separatist movement advocating for the establishment of a Muslim state has been active in southern Thailand, reaching its peak in 2004.
Southern Thailand is under the control of the predominantly Buddhist north. Therefore, the use of Brotherhood elements is beneficial to them at the moment.
A hotspot in Thailand
The emergence of ISIS in Jakarta, Mindanao, Bosheng, and near Kuala Lumpur has raised concerns about the beginning of a new wave of cross-border jihadist terrorism in Southeast Asia.
Thailand could be their next destination, according to a well-documented report by the International Crisis Group.
The report suggests that ISIS has used Thailand as a transit point, and there is no known case of a Thai citizen joining the organization, which contributes to the recruitment of Brotherhood members.
The report notes the existence of secret markets for the trade in small arms in southern Thailand, frequented by Malaysians interested in joining ISIS. This means that the rebellious region has become a hub for attracting terrorist elements, making it part of the network of cross-border jihadist routes. Although foreign jihadists have not yet intervened, the continued rebellion and suppression eventually led local radical elements in the south to join the armed revolution led by the Brotherhood in Thailand.
Tarek al-Bashbishi, a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood who defected from the terrorist group and is a researcher on Islamic groups, says that the Brotherhood’s members see countries in East and Central Asia as a strong base for them. They are constantly looking for places with tension, where they engage with Muslims and support them with human resources to spread their ideas.
Al-Bashbishi added that Thailand is currently one of the main transit countries for Brotherhood members on their way to Malaysia and Indonesia. Southern Thailand is considered one of the new safe havens within the international organization’s plans, given the strained relations with Turkey, and there is no European country willing to accommodate them.
