BBC News
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VIDEO: A history of calling Obama a Muslim September 18, 2015
After Donald Trump fails to correct one of his supporters calling Barack Obama a Muslim, we look back on the history of this phenomenon.
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VIDEO: Stars of the Frankfurt Motor Show September 18, 2015
As the Frankfurt Motor Show draws to a close, Theo Leggett looks at what you could be driving away after that big lottery win.
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VIDEO: Pianist of Yarmouk's journey to Europe September 18, 2015
Ayham al-Ahmad, the pianist of Yarmouk, records his journey, as he leaves Syria for Europe.
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VIDEO: Pressure on Zagreb reception centres September 18, 2015
The BBC's Christian reports from one of the registration centres in and around the Croatia capital Zagreb.
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VIDEO: Trump laughs off Obama 'Muslim' question September 18, 2015
Donald Trump is criticised for failing to correct a supporter who said US President Barack Obama was a Muslim and "not even an American".
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VIDEO: Turkey-PKK conflict 'escalating fast' September 18, 2015
The number of policemen and soldiers who have been killed in Turkey since a ceasefire with Kurdish militant group the PKK broke down in July, has risen to more than 120.
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VIDEO: German town 'running out of room' for migrants September 18, 2015
The BBC's Jenny Hill reports from the town of Rosenheim in Germany, where giant tents are being constructed to accommodate asylum seekers.
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VIDEO: Waxworks unveiled of F1 stars Vettel and Hamilton September 18, 2015
As Singapore's Formula 1 Grand Prix gets into gear, the BBC's Rico Hizon meets two of the top challengers, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel - in waxwork form.
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VIDEO: Motor racing hopeful, but no driving licence September 17, 2015
Kenyan Tejas Hirani has won 48 motor-racing championships despite being just 17 and not yet having a driving licence.
– PATANI RAYA
Patani Raya-Greater Patani, is the term used to describe the three southern provinces of Thailand Patani, Yala and Narathiwat, just on the border with Malaysia. It is estimated that about 2.7 millions Muslims, 80% of the local population in Patani Raya and about 4.5% of the general population in Thailand are Muslims and speak their own version of Malay – Yawi.
The three provinces were under Siamese (Thai) rule from the end of the 18th century up to 1902. The region had a long historic narrative of rebelling, time and again, against Siamese (Thai) rule. In 1902 a Muslim Autonomy Emirate was formed in Patani Raya up to 1933. Than, according to an agreement between Great Britain, that ruled Malaysia, and the kingdom of Siam, today Thailand – the three Muslim provinces in the south – Patani, Yala and Narathiwat, became, again, an annexed part of Buddhist Thailand.
In 1941, during the Japanese occupation, Tengku Mahmud Mahyuddin, a prominent Patani leader and the son of the last Raja of Patani, allied himself with the British in the hope that Patani would be granted independence after an allied victory. However, after a short independency in 1945, the British broke their promises and allowed continued Thai rule over Patani, determined to keep Thailand stable as a counterweight to the communist insurgency in Malaysia.
In the last 3 decades a political separatist movement – Patani Darussalam, which was established in Malaysia, is seeking to restore the Autonomy of the region.
The Patani United Liberation Organization – PULO, was founded already in 1968 under the leadership of Kabir Abdul Rahman, a Patani Malay scholar. Not as the Patani Darussalam, PULO considers itself to be continuing the independence struggle of the Malay Sultanates. In 1995 a group of more extreme separatists founded the ‘NEW PULO’.
Initially PULO abstained from using violence. In 2001 the movement formed a military wing – PULA (Patani United Liberation Army) and began to use violent tactics. The struggle has taken a violent turn when activists began to attack government compounds, collaborators with the Thai regime and non Muslim businesses. PULO never took responsibility on any of the attacks committed in South Thailand.
According to Thai police the number of fatalities in South Thailand, since attacks flared-up in 01/2004, reached 3004 on 03/20/2008.
*Note – Although the Thai press tried to link PULA to Al Qaeda the no evidence to such an operational link. PULO ha no Jihady ideology and the struggle is an ethnic one.
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2008 – OVER 60 WOUNDED IN BOMBINGS IN SOUTH THAILAND
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