On 15 August 2019, Ms. Arjaree Sriratanaban, Ambassador Attached to the Ministry, delivered opening remarks in a special lecture organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand on the topic “Challenges of Preventing and Countering Radicalisation and Violent Extremism in Southeast Asia in 4.0 Society.” The lecture was given by Dr. Ali Rahed Al Nuaimi, Chairman of Hedayah Centre and Mr. Maqsoud Kruse, Executive Director of Hedayah Centre, attended by more than 80 participants from the public and academic sectors. The lecture was aimed to create better awareness and understanding on the subject matter as well as introducing Hedayah Centre’s experiences in supporting countries to establish frameworks to tackle holistically and sustainably the root causes of violent extremism.

The International Security Unit, Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited H.E. Dr. Al Nuaimi and representatives of Hedayah Centre to visit Thailand during 15 – 16 August 2019. Hedayah Centre is a “Think and Do Tank” on preventing and countering violent extremism. Hedayah Centre was established under the Global Counter Terrorism Forum (GCTF) and is based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The objective of the visit was to discuss possible cooperation between Thailand and Hedayah Centre, particularly on exchange on experiences and best practices in order to encourage the development of preventive measures against violent extremism in Thailand.

Besides the special lecture, the Chairman and representatives of Hedayah Centre paid courtesy calls on (1) H.E. Mr. Damrong Kraikruan, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, (2) Mr. Sing Visespochanakit, Deputy Secretary General of the National Security Council, (3) Lt. Gen Dr. Perapong Manakit, Commissioner of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission, and (4) Mr. Saki Phitakkumpon, Deputy Secretary of Sheikhul Islam and Advisor to the Secretary-General of Central Islamic Council. The topics of discussion included ways to develop cooperation on preventing and countering violent extremism particularly among youth who are vulnerable to radicalisation via online media platforms.

This visit marked the first step towards future constructive cooperation on preventing and countering violent extremism between Thailand and Hedayah Centre. The extensive knowledge and experiences of Hedayah Centre would also enable Thailand to collaborate with partner countries on capacity-building. To this end, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has received support from the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Bangkok in organising this visit. The cooperation reflects close relations between the two countries and the fact that both sides share a vision on tackling violent extremism, which requires collective action.