( A dedication to a Peace activist , a co-worker, a friend and a brother )
** Note : I received this article from the person who was travelling with him in the last trip oversea. He wants his identity to remain anonymous. I present the article as it is without edit/ alteration.The attached photo was the last just before he boarded the train - Abu Hafez Al-Hakim .
" I had known Ahmadsomboon Bualuang, an academician of distinct and unique personality, through his writings ,speeches and interviews, long before I met him in person. His wide knowledge in Patani history, its political and social issues as well as the Patani peace process made him stood tall among his contemporaries. I do not think I can identify any other person, so far, who could surpass him in terms of awareness, hard work and dedication with wide circles of contacts and acceptance among the Thai officials , his fellow activists and the people in Patani Malay movements. His utmost mission was (and still is) to work and achieve peace in Patani through peaceful means.
It was indeed a privilege for me to have the opportunity working with him for Patani Peace, to absorb all the high values and characteristics that made him such an outstanding person in his own right. Ahmadsomboon Bualuang (cordially known as "Bae Mat"or sometimes "Ayah Mat") was a man loved by many, envied by a few and hated by none. I would like to share the final moments of his life with all of you who knew and loved him.
During our last working trip with another foreigner we travelled to a far way land that he had paved earlier to make contacts , so that this time ours was a smooth one. We met people, listened ,talked, discussed and even argued with them in order to make Patani Peace not just an illusion but a reality that is achievable. We travelled by air, train, buses, cars as well as on foot. From our previous trips I came to know of his health problems and medications he was on. He was somewhat stabilized and always fit for travelling.
The last leg of the trip was a two and a half hour train ride to a remote city. Half way through the journey I noticed he looked tired while seated and was sweating profusely. Initially I thought it was a mere travel fatigue , but when he started to turn pale and became breathless I realized right away what was wrong. It was a heart attack.
We asked the train officials for emergency medical assistance , but there were none on board. The only thing they could offer was to drop us at the next station, another 8-10 minutes away, with an ambulance ready. As a professional myself, I knew that those 8-10 minutes were the most crucial and critical. Without proper medical care the outcome could be fatal. However only ALLAH could decide his fate, so the only thing I could do at that moment was to "Doa " and "Tawakkal Ala Allah" - pray and totally submit to Allah.
By the time the train stopped at the station he had already collapsed. The paramedics immediately boarded the train and started the CPR-procedure ( Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation ) for about 20 minutes. It was a desperate attempt and I knew there and then that they were losing him. We prepared for the worst.
In ten minutes he was already in the emergency unit of the local hospital. Thirty minutes later a doctor and a nurse came to us with the bad news. His last journey on earth had ended.
To ALL his friends and loved-ones I am sure this great loss has cut a deep wound in our hearts, but as people who were there with him at his last breaths, seeing him slipped away, so far from his home and family, whispering to his ears the final words of " Laa Ilaha illa Allah..." ( There is no God but Allah..), we are the ones who were traumatized and suffered most.
Now our Bae Mat is embarking on a final journey to another dimension and frontier where many mortals had earlier ventured to but never returned. It is an eternal journey to meet his Creator, ALLAH the Almighty.
As an icon of Patani Peace, he left behind a legacy of his dreams and an unfinished mission for Patani and its people. We will only have to ask ourselves how best we could continue working to pursue these dreams, our dreams , of achieving true and everlasting Peace for Patani Darussalam.
To Bae Mat I will just conclude : Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiuun - Verily from Allah we came and unto him we will return. May Allah's blessing and mercy be upon him, and may he be well rewarded for all his efforts in this life ...Ameen ."
Presented by :
Abu Hafez Al-Hakim
23 September 2014./
