Chularatchamontri: “No peace without justice”
By Lekha Kliangklao
“As long as there is no justice, there will be no peace,” so said Mr Arzis Pitakkhumpol, the newly-elected Chularatchamontri or the Muslim spiritual leader in this recent interview with the southern news desk of the Isra Institute.
Admitting that he is not a man with magical powers who can do anything to fulfil the wishes of every person, Mr Arzis appealed for cooperation and support from his Muslim brethren.
“The most important thing is cooperation from everyone of my brothers. Do not leave me alone and ask Allah for guidance towards doing the right things. Without Allah’s help, there is no way of success. What should be done is to help one another and do the right things. And I will try my best for my Muslim brothers and everyone,” said the Chularatchamontri.
His first task is to make the office of the Chularatchamontri a respectable institute and its working staff acceptable by all “which is not an easy job”. He admitted that it was difficult to find the right staff who are honest and fair. But with his faith in Allah, he believes he will be able to find the right men with such qualifications.
Regarding the role of the Chularatchamontri and Muslim religious leaders concerning with the problems in the deep South, Mr Arzis said that they must have access to Muslim people down to village level and should serve as the centre of faith for the performance of religious activities.
He singled out narcotics as the worst problem affecting people of different religious faiths alike. Also, he said peaceful co-existence for people in the society was another issue of importance.
However, he noted that peaceful co-existence would not be realized without justice.
“Allah will help out when there is justice. If there is no justice, there will be no peace,” he said.
As mandated by the law promulgated since the government of Field Marshal Pibulsongkram about five decades ago, the Chularatchamontri has the following responsibilities: giving advice and opinions about Islamic religious matters to the government or authorities; appointing experts to provide advice on Islamic affairs; announcing the dates for the beginning and end of the Ramadan fasting; and announcing religious rulings.
But whether the Chularatchamontri should play an active role in resolving the unrest problem in the deep South remains debatable.