Cardinal welcome the National Security Council (NSC)

Bangkok May 9, 2007 : at the Mission Office, H.E. Cardinal Michael Michai Kitbunchu welcome a group of the high ranking members of the National Security Council led by Gen. Montri Sangkhasap, Secretary General of the Council and Commander of the Army. This courtesy visit is to thank His Eminence for the monetary assistance given to the victims of the three southern provinces in Thailand.

On this occasion the Cardinal told about the present situations of the Church in Thailand and the programs carried out in helping the poor both in the past and at present where the majority of the beneficiaries are not Catholics.

The Cardinal stresses, that the assistance has been carried out on the principle of humanitarianism together with the government agencies and not for proselytizing.

“When ‘COERR’ (Catholic Office for Emergency Relief and Refugees) was established to assist the refugees fleeing into Thailand, there was cooperation with the military and the police to maintain the national security.”. In the case of Tsunami the Cardinal told the visitors, our Catholic networks abroad made a substantial contribution to the plight of the victims and the Catholic Church in Thailand has provided a long term assistance by building houses, providing occupations and education of the children.

The work is still ongoing with 2-3 centers located in the south. As to the violence happening in the south, personnel resources are scarce especially physicians and nurses. Our St. Louis Hospital foundation has provided 10 scholarships for students in the south up to bachelor degrees on condition that upon completion they have to work in their hometown.

Schools have been opened in the three southern provinces under the administration of priests and sisters. Currently the “Don Bosco” vocational school is built in Pattani to equip the youth with vocational skills for their future living.

General Montri Sangkhasap says: “Assistance from the private sectors are necessarily important because red tape in the government is too slow to cope up with the urgent situation.”

“The education, the religious institution is providing is very essential for the youth to gain knowledge and skills and for villagers to earn income for life. It is a long term assistance.”

The Cardinal express complaint on some policies or legalities deterrent to qualitative education which could have provided a better opportunity for the students. Instead, a school tax is incurred in the same measure as that of business, hence creating problem for our schools, that may lead many private schools to close down.

The Cardinal concludes confirming of the Catholic Church’s full cooperation and support for the development of the country so that Thai people will live together happily without discrimination.

Photos from The Information Technology Center, Archdiocese of Bangkok, http://www.catholic.or.th