Thailand and Malaysia build a limes wall

The South-east Asian neighbours Thailand and Malaysia have agreed on the construction of an eleven kilometre-long limes wall.

The wall would be within a time frame of several years to be established between the Southern Thai province of Songkhla and the Malaysian border town of Padang Besar. That gave the Defense ministry Friday in Bangkok. The goal is the smuggling of weapons and drugs and human trafficking to prevent it. Both countries will divide the costs.

Thailand and Malaysia share a 640-kilometer-long border. A lot of people in the region have both nationalities, which, according to Bangkok is contributing to the ongoing unrest. Thailand is a predominantly buddhist country. In the south, however -as in Malaysia – the muslims are in the majority. The conflict between moslimseparatisten and government forces has, since 2004, to more than 6,700 people lives. Attacks are a daily occurrence.

The agreement on the construction of the wall came Thursday during a meeting between the Thai defense minister Prawit Wongsuwan and his Malaysian colleague, Dato Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein in Bangkok was signed. About the beginning of the construction and what it will cost made no details known.