Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Lawmakers have backed Indonesia's offer to help Thailand solve prolonged violence in its troubled south.
The head of the House of Representatives' Commission I on security and international affairs, Theo Sambuaga, said Indonesia was happy to help its neighbor solve the problem.
""We acknowledge that this conflict in Thailand's southern provinces is its own internal problem. But because they asked us to help, of course we will give them a hand,"" he told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
Theo, who represents the country's largest political party, Golkar, said the government should become a mediator in talks between parties involved in the conflict.
Lawmaker Djoko Susilo from the National Mandate Party (PAN) also said Indonesia needed to become more active in finding a solution to Thailand's conflict, as both a good neighbor and a fellow member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
""We have past experience from when we helped solve Cambodia's conflict as well as mediating in conflicts in the southern Philippines, so there should be no problems for Indonesia in dealing with the issue,"" he told the Post.
On several occasions, Thai leaders have asked the Indonesian government for suggestions on how to overcome the conflict in its southernmost provinces.
Thailand's three southernmost provinces are the only Muslim-majority provinces in the predominately Buddhist country. Since 2004, they have been the site of an insurgency that has led to more than 2,200 deaths.
Aside from the fact Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation, its involvement in solving the crisis is seen as important by observers due to alleged links between Muslim militants in Indonesia and southern Thailand.
Allegations of such links have focused on training and indoctrination Thai Muslim militants may have received in Indonesia. Recent reports have also suggested Indonesians may be in southern Thailand training insurgents and taking part in their activities. However, the Thai military is yet to uncover any strong evidence to prove these allegations.
Although Indonesia has expressed a willingness to help the Thai government overcome the conflict, details of cooperation and assistance are yet to be revealed.
However, Muhammadiyah, the country's second largest Islamic organization, has come up with several suggestions on how to end the conflict.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry's director for East Asia and Pacific affairs, Yuri Thamrin, could not confirm that Thailand's junta chief Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratglin visited Indonesia to seek the support of Indonesian leaders.
""I can only confirm that he came to Indonesia. I have no information about his meetings because I was busy handling the visit of the Vietnamese prime minister, who was also in the country at the time,"" he told the Post.
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