Thailand open to amnesty for Islamic insurgents: PM News
Thailand open to amnesty for Islamic insurgents: PM

[JURIST] Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] announced Friday that the Thai government [official website, in Thai] may grant amnesty to Islamic insurgents, but that it still supports Buddhists who have armed themselves for protection. Surayud, who replaced former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] after a bloodless coup last year, promised to end the violence in the southern region of the country. While amnesty was discussed when Thaksin was in power, his government rejected the proposal, and instead increased military power and restricted civil liberties [JURIST report] in the region.

Surayud's announcement comes on the heels of a Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] report that criticized the Thai government for using militias [report text] for security in the southern provinces. HRW said that the armed villager forces were misusing their weapons, using excessive force, and furthering violence. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Pope Urban II sparks First Crusade

Pope Urban II threw his support behind what would become the First Crusade on November 27, 1095 during the Council of Clairmont. The Pope urged the council's participants to render aid to the Byzantine Empire, which was being attacked by the Seljuks. Pope Urban called for a wide coalition of rich and poor to combat the threat, which eventually resulted in the conquest of much of the Muslim-controlled Levant by the Crusaders and the establishment of the Crusader States. Read Pope Urban's address.  

Catholic Code of Canon Law revised

On November 27, 1983, the revised Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church went into effect. Learn more about the history of Canon Law from Professor Kenneth Pennington of the Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law.

Alfred Nobel creates Nobel Prize in his will

On November 27, 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his will, creating the Nobel Prize. Learn more about the history of the Nobel Prize and the Nobel Commission.