Some 100 representatives from 16 Asian countries would attend a meeting of Muslims in Asia, held by the Central Islamic Committee of Thailand, to discuss the situation in Afghanistan on Saturday, the Bangkok post reported.
About 30,000 Thai Muslims are also expected to join a prayer at Rajamangala Sports Stadium on Sunday. Donations would be collected to be sent to Afghanistan.
Wittaya Wisetrat, one of the representatives of the Thai Muslims delegation which returned from Pakistan Tuesday, was quoted as saying that Afghan refugees in Pakistan were living in tents scattered in rugged terrain where snow has begun to fall.
He said Thai Muslims had raised about three million baht, but more food and clothes are needed since the refugees are fighting starvation.
A refusal by the US to suspend air strikes during Ramadan would displease Muslims all over the world, he said.
Burm Pathan of the Thai-Pakistani Friendship Association said the air strikes had failed to destroy Taliban fighters hiding in the mountains, and were killing innocent civilians.
He said he had met high-level Taliban officials, who said their soldiers would be able to resist the attacks by Washington as long as they had enough food.
(Xinhua News Agency November 7, 2001)
