In Thailand’s conflict-hit ‘Deep South’, mistrust fuels Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy among Muslim majority

[webfact]

A nurse administers a dose of a Covid-19 vaccine at a hospital in the southern province of Narathiwat on June 7. Less that 5 per cent of Narathiwat and Yala’s 1.1 million population have received a jab so far. Photo: AFP

 

● As Thailand contends with its deadliest wave of the pandemic yet, the vast majority of people in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat provinces have not had a jab

 

● Those who have are overwhelmingly Buddhist. Years of conflict and martial law have made the region’s Muslims deeply suspicious of government intentions

 

Vijitra Duangdee in Pattani

 

Fear, misinformation and chronic mistrust of the state in a conflict zone is undercutting vaccination efforts in Thailand’s insurgency-hit “Deep South”, activists say, as coronavirus cases spike in a region previously spared the worst of the pandemic.

 

The southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat have recorded scores of new infections each day after the virus seeped over the border from neighbouring Malaysia , which remains under a state of emergency to control the spread of contagion.

 

Thailand imposed further restrictions in the region , as well as Bangkok and six other provinces, for at least 30 days starting on Monday. The new measures include a ban on dining-in at restaurants as well as checkpoints.

 

Full story: https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3139074/thailands-conflict-hit-deep-south-mistrust-fuels-covid

 

-- © Copyright South China Morning Post 2021-06-29

 

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[Deli]

What about closing mosques for a month ? No bars... no mosques either.

[Stargeezr]

Put vaccine sites at the entrances of shopping centers in the local malls. No vaccine no groceries or other

purchases. That may be a good incentive.

Geezer

[MarcelV]

It is not true that restaurants don't have dine-in options. They still do. Building sites are also still operational.