International Conference On Terrorist Rehabilitation

PANEL DISCUSSION X
The prospects of religious programmes in Thailand
are meant to address the root cause of the conflict in
southern Thailand. It is part of the government’s policy to
emphasize politics before military approach. It comprises
of the following:
The first is conflict transformation, where the rehabilitation
process should be based on the concept of bringing back
friendship and harmony. This can be achieved by enabling
the accused to recognize the damage inflicted by their
violence and repent from such terrorist acts. Thai society
should believe that these accused can be reintegrated
into society and their wrongdoing forgiven.
The second is community engagement. Apart from
rehabilitation programmes, community engagement
is indispensable. The community can play a role in
rehabilitation, either directly or indirectly.
The third is human-rights education. It must be a process
that respects human dignity as its fundamental principal.
Rehabilitation programmes therefore should have a
rights-based approach, especially in serving the social
and cultural rights as well as civil and political rights.
The fourth is human empowerment, which is designed
to improve the quality of life of the accused and their
families. The concept is focused on building the economic
and social capacity by forming a link between the
individuals accused, their families and the communities
with the social and cultural context as a key element.
In conclusion, Mr. Chaiyanukit acknowledged that a
rehabilitation programme needs time and coordination
from all concerned parties in an integrated and disciplined
manner and, so far, it is controlled by the military. It might
be difficult to identify success indicators due to the fact
that the programme requires a high level of expertise and
experience. In addition, the process might not conform
to Thailand’s existing concept. Thailand still needs a legal
basis for a rehabilitation programme. However, Thailand,
through its Ministry of Justice, has launched the first
phase of its rehabilitation programme by initiating a
research study to classify the terrorists based on their
motivations.
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THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON TERRORIST REHABILITATION