Vittaya Yoondorn
Government officials called on area Islamic leaders
on to set good examples for their followers and help eliminate
corruption and illegal drug use at a seminar in Pattaya.
Preecha Kanthiya,
director-general of the Culture Ministry’s Department of Religious
Affairs.
Preecha Kanthiya, director-general of the Culture
Ministry’s Department of Religious Affairs, Uthit Buasri, director for
strategy and police for the Region 2 Office of Narcotics Control Bureau,
and Islamic community advisor Santi Sua-saming hosted the lecture
session at the Sun City Hotel March 26.
Preecha said religious leaders can play an important
role in preventing corruption in different Islamic communities in
Chonburi, Rayong, Trat, Chantaburi and Ratchaburi. They were encouraged
to pursue the goals of the Department of Religious Affairs by teaching
citizens to be moral and ethical, using Islamic teachings to govern
themselves and become the foundation of solidarity and reconciliation to
resolve issues and bring peace to Muslim people.
In cases where corruption is found, religious leaders
were encouraged to contact the Culture Ministry, saying their
cooperation can be the foundation for reconciliation.
The seminar also gave religious leaders a chance to
network and exchange ideas about developing their mosques, better
instill moral values in youths and prevent corruption.
Phatphan Sukhying, Director of Bureau of Policy and
Strategy, ONCB Region 2, also spoke of how leaders could help combat
drug use by being the “eyes and ears” for police and passing along
information on drug-processing labs and dealers.
