The "restive South" - How Did It Start?

[MiG16]

to those that talk about systematic poor treatment by the state..or other such similar words Ive seen on your analysis of the situation in south thailand...I would be very interested to hear about what these constitute?

some list of things done directed against the population down there BECAUSE OF their religion.......dont talk about corrupt police bullying people...doesnt that happen everywhere in thailand and also some other countries? lets get specific about discrimination against the muslim population?

[Mid]

MiG16 ................

I'm amazed !!!!

Tak Bai

[jdinasia]

The Restive South .... How did it start

There are tons of other threads about the violence in the south etc ....

[Mid]

what's your beef jdinasia ?

aren't you comfortable with the topic ?

or are you a wanna be mod ??

[jdinasia]

Nope .. I am comfy with the TOPIC and have no desire to be a Mod .... I just think that Jim deserves for the thread to stay ON topic ... and not be shunted around to fit other people's needs when there ARE other threads about the south

Not a giant steap is it?

[Mid]

perhaps you'd like to personally identify all the off topic posts to a mod and have them removed ?

then again your definition of topic and another's may differ ,

not a giant step is it ?

[A_Traveller]

Looking at this thread and others of its ilk, an issue here is the risk of viewing 2004 on {it's really 2003} as somehow unique and not to be aware of the history underpinning the situation. As a simple example of this, April 28 has a critical historic relevance here to events in 1948 which from a public Thai government point of view has been air-brushed out of existence, even in the 1999 security overview.

After Phibul Songkram’s return to power, the government rejected demands put forward by Haji Sulong, the President of the Islamic Religious Council, calling for Pattani Malays to be appointed to Governorships of the four provinces, to 80 percent of government administrative posts in the area, and to a Muslim Board to control all Muslim affairs.

Haji Sulong was arrested which provoked a renewal of insurrection. Later, the anger escalated further after his disappearance, and presumed murder by Thai police, in 1954. Yes someone else who AFAIK just disappeared.

In my view it is wrong to call the 1948 actions a revolt, the demands were not really the cause for the arrest and prosecution of Haji Sulong as subsequently claimed. However, there was unrest and protests by the Muslims in the three southernmost provinces, by the by, not four, {just like today I note} as reported by the Thai government officials prior to the arrest of Haji Sulong which, as might be anticipated increased after this swift action by the police.

The 'insurrection' occurred on April 26-28, 1948 originating from the clashes in the village of Dusun Nyor, Narathiwat province. That incident was later known as the 'Dusun Ynor Rebellion' and was commonly understood as an attempted revolt in response to the arrest of Haji Sulong.

Subsequently, this 'rebellion' has been obliterated within the official story-line of the Haji Sulong’s Rebellion. However, the attacks by the militant Muslims in the three southernmost provinces and by definition the Thai government on April 28, 2004, shows that such eliding of history is, at best, unwise.

For those interested in this less than visible element of history might like to try searching for the above terms, also searching for the bullet monument might be worth a view.

Regards

PS To forestall the obvious I am in no way condoning activities of the insurgents but I do believe that, as in other conflicts, a full understanding of the situation can only assist in finding a resolution.

PPS A noted academic, Dr Aphornsuvam Thanet made the following point in 2004:-

The emergence of the concept of 'separatism' or ‘bang yak dindan’ {separating the land} in the 1940s was a result of the internal conflicts among major central political factions and parties as well as the conflict between the Bangkok government and the Malay Muslim political movement.

Incidentally the Haji Sulong and Dusun Ynor Rebellions in 1948 in the Muslim South completed the imagined Thai community, which was based on the invented notion of a homogeneous Thai ethnic nation.

/edit add PPS//

Edited June 25, 2007 by A_Traveller

[MiG16]

MiG16 ................

I'm amazed !!!!

Tak Bai

MID....i was questioning about these discrimination and systematic abuse against muslims BECAUSE OF their religion PRIOR to the eruption of the violence since 2004.

am not gonna say what the government has done was right or wrong...even in those circumstances....there are factors that we as by-standers may not be able to appreciate......cant say whether it was purely bad judgement, unprepared or intentional.....

but lets try to discuss what the insurgents claim made it necessary for them to react to the governments abuse?

[Pakboong]

I am quite surprised that the connection between Iraq and the Muslim south keeps getting missed. It would seem logical that demonizing Muslims anywhere the world would be the day job of superpower intelligence agencies. It is quite likely that these agencies are footing the bill as well. It is unlikely that anyone in Malaysia is paying the bill for this mess.