Songkhla Muslims against plan for Chinese goddess statue on mountain

In Thailand’s tense Deep South, Muslim communities are speaking out against a plan to build a statue of a Chinese goddess on a mountain in Thepa district. The company planning to build it is TPI Polene Power Plc, a power plant operator. Many in the community around the mountain are Muslims, and an imam, who asked to remain anonymous, said the community may not consider it appropriate.

Now, an unnamed Muslim leader says he will send a letter signed by villagers and religious leaders, to Deputy Minister of Interior and Democrat Party member Nipon Boonyamanee. The letter will ask Nipon to lobby TPI to cancel the plan. The leader warned that if Nipon didn’t respond to the letter, he wouldn’t vote for Democrat candidates in the next election.

Another imam, Golyubi Jarese, told the Bangkok Post Muslims are very sensitive about the issue, and the community had “reached a…