( Opening speech by Ustaz Shukri Hari , Chief of MARA Patani Technical Team at the 6th Joint Technical Team(JTT) meeting on 27 April 2017 in Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA )
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful and the Most Compassionate
Peace be upon you
His Excellency Dato Seri Ahmad Zamzamin Hashim, the Malaysian Facilitator and his team.
Honorable Major General Sitthi Trakunwong representing the Thai government, and his team.
My respected colleagues at the dialogue table representing Mara Patani. May Allah grant them rewards for their continuous effort and patience in fighting for the beloved people of Patani
Ladies and gentlemen.
Truth will prevail and the untruthful will diminish. Success is bestowed only by Allah while the effort is from us. At times the wishes of Allah differ from ours. We have to be forever cautious. If we are committed and patient ,God willing, we will succeed. No one could predict the future and it was beyond human expectation that in Acheh peace could be achieved through the tsunami will the grace of Allah. It is therefore highly possible that peace in Patani could be achieved by His judgment.
The dialogue process is now three years old, like a toddler learning to walk, learning to persuade , to demand and to venture. Our current process is not yet matured with so many obstacles. We have to learn from all that have happened. There are solutions. As Allah mentioned in Chapter Talaq verse 2-3
" (For) he who fearss Allah, He will show him the way out (solution). And He will reward him the way he never expected. And (for) those who submit to Him, then He is sufficient for him. Indeed Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already decreed for everything ".
We are constantly monitoring the local issues in Patani conflict as well as the national ones, especially the important issues that are much concerned to the government of Thailand. There are certain stakeholders who are trying to derail the on-going peace dialogue process. There are those who claim that we (MARA Patani) are not qualified (mandated), they are stronger and they are more competent. The truth is , it is just a show that certain groups are portraying for their personal gains. This is normally seen, as in any peace process there would be opponents . Both sides, therefore, need to be persistent and committed. The more important is the commitment from the people for the people. Thus far, both parties have shown a high degree of obligation for a genuine solution ahead of us. We hope to see the process bears its fruits during the current administration.
We are unsure how long this journey would last and when it will end. People are victimized while none are implicated . Everybody will claim innocence , therefore who is to be blamed ? Think ! We (MARA Patani) are aware of the current world conflict and we have chosen the appropriate path based on the El-Hudaibiyyah model as that was adopted by the Prophet (Peace be upon Him). There are also other examples as that of Mohamed El-Fateh model which is yet to be explored.
Ladies and gentlemen ,
Safety zones is a new model, which as far as I know , no other country nor any liberation movements have ever adopted it. Therefore we will make it as an example for the international community for the benefit of the local people and it will be marked as a new milestone. Our principle is : the effort towards peace for the prosperity and safety of the local people is easier than enticing them for war. It depends on our preparation especially at the dialogue table with the cooperation of all stakeholders. All have to be strengthen in various fields. Strength alone does not guarantee success. The Pharaoh was strong but failed as there was Someone stronger than him. The preparation must be detailed and excellent . So too is the implementation. A good planning with poor implementation will result in failure. From the very start we know that this process will either succeed or fail very much depends on our intentions at the beginning of the process.
To guarantee success for the process unity is vital, be it internally or externally. Unified political idealism, action and cooperation in both words and deeds must be maintained. Small sticks individually could only be used as tooth picks but a bunch of sticks could be used to clean the entire compound. Togetherness is a strength that could ward off offenders. We are certain that a group is better than an individual - perseverance is an ingredient for success.
Finally, allow me to quote Professor Eizzy, " If we never try something , we will not achieve anything ", and from Anthony Robbins ," Action is the key for all successes ".
With Allah's Blessings and Guidance, Peace be upon you.
USTAZ SHUKRI HARI
Chief of MARA Patani Technical Team
Kuala Lumpur
Thursday 27 April 2017.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note :
1. The SAFETY ZONES is a pilot project in the confidence building stage aiming at providing civilian protection while guaranteeing the freedom of speech and decision making by the locals.
2. In the coming months both sides will detail the formation of Joint Action Committee(JAC) for Safety Zones after the Safety House (SH) is established. The SH will function as a coordination centre to assist and coordinate the formation of JAC.
Abu Hafez Al-Hakim
7 May 2017 / 10 Sha'aban 1438 H
