Islamic Insurgency in Southern Thailand

PATTANI, Thailand – Muslim insurgents shot and killed five construction workers Thursday while they were entering a school in southern Thailand, police said.

The attackers hid inside a house by the road and jumped out as the van approached the Islamic school in Pattani province, which was closed for summer break, police Capt. Sompob Laungwong said.

Pattani is one of three provinces in southern Thailand, bordering Malaysia, that has been gripped by a Muslim insurgency since 2004. The area is the only Muslim-dominated section of the Buddhist country.

Public schools and teachers in the southernmost provinces, viewed as symbols of government authority, are regularly attacked. Some 80 Buddhist teachers are among the more than 3,000 people killed since violence flared in 2004.

The victims, all of them Buddhists, were on their way to the school for construction work before the new school term starts in May, Sompob said.

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej was visiting Malaysia on Thursday to discuss the violence and other issues with his Malaysian counterpart, government spokesman Wichianchote Sukchotrat said.

Samak plans to ask the Malaysian government to repatriate two key suspected insurgent leaders who are believed to be living in Malaysia, he said.

The violence in Thailand is a regular topic of discussion between leaders of the two countries, which exchange information about suspected insurgents and have periodically posted joint security along the border.

Muslims who live in the three provinces have long complained of discrimination by the Thai government. The southern Thais are of same ethnicity as Malaysian Malays, sharing the same religion, culture, food and language.

The original artice can be found here.

Gettin’ close…

23 Days.

10 Hours.

34 Minutes.

8 Seconds.

Support Letter

Friends and Family,
Hello! What a crazy semester it has been. One full of broken hearts, healing wounds, restoration, reconciliation and the Love of a Savior. If you will permit me a tangent, I feel compelled to tell of a Jesus I have met this semester. His love never fails and keeps no records of wrongs. His compassion and affection are more abundant and more fulfilling then anything this broken world has to offer. So much so, it requires of us to give our lives. Everything we have in exchange for everything He is. We shoulder his cross, carrying with us His death, suffering as he suffered. Then walking into his victory, we receive a life more abundant and free then we could have ever imagined.

“The thief comes to kill, steal and destroy, but I have come so that you may have life.”

As I continue to stretch and grow I see him more and more. I want more and more. May we never stop seeking. He is our good. He is sweet. I pray for myself and you, a restless heart. A heart never satisfied and always thirsty for another glimpse of His great fame. May we leave our buckets at the well.

“Then, leaving her water jar, the women went back to the town and said to the people, ‘Come and see…’”.

Thanks for my tangent!

Our Lord is good and each day I feel a stronger pull on my heart strings to the other side of the world. I have this insatiable desire to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.” Two summers ago I had the opportunity to travel to Thailand, and I’m ready to go back. This summer, the Lord has blessed me with an opportunity to spend eight weeks covering several different cities in Thailand. As I write this, my plane leaves in 38 days, 2 hours, 33 minutes, and 4 seconds. On May 15, I will  leave and fly fifteen hours to find the Lord where he is working in the hearts and minds of our fellow saints on the other side of the world. I don’t think I have ever been more excited about anything in my life. Most days I wish I were already on the plane. However, I know there is work which must be completed here before I leave. His timing is perfect. Always. But, I can’t do it without your support. As the shoulder supports the arm supports the hand, I ask for your help financially and through continued prayer. I know many of you have bee praying for me over these past few months and they have surely not gone unnoticed. They are felt in the weakest moments, in loneliness, and in the strongest. I surely would not be where I am now if it weren’t through the diligent prayers of all of you. For that, I feel the deepest gratitude. Your strength has become my own.
While in Thailand, I will be spending time organizing and coaching a softball team and leading future leaders of the Church in Thailand. I will also be able to travel to the border and spend time with Burmese refugee children. What an amazing opportunity! I cannot wait to tell you all the stories of how our great God is working in Thailand. In order for you to track along with me during my trip, I have created a blog I hope to update as much as possible while I am there.

Jonathanwatson.wordpress.com

Finally, If any of you feel called to give financially, your help will be greatly appreciated. I need to raise close to $3,500 for the entire 8 weeks. So, here’s the process…

1.    You can mail a donation to New Hope Baptist Church. Make any checks out to New Hope Baptist Church as this will allow the donation to be tax deductible. Make sure, however, you include in the envelope the donation is meant for Jonathan Watson.

551 New Hope Road

Fayetteville, Ga 30214

2.    You can follow step one and instead of mailing it to the church, you can give it to one of my parents, Jon and Cindy Watson.

105 Marina Court

Fayetteville, Ga 30215

Just so you know, I’ll be returning at 9:32 PM on July 16.

Thank you all for your prayers. Remember to check the blog. Leave comments. Get excited. Drink chocolate milk. Surrender.
Jonathan Watson