Uphill task to demilitarize and decentralize Thailand’s deep South for lasting peace

[webfact]

 

How will the coalition partners reconcile their differences in approach towards resolving the long-running conflict in the predominantly Muslim deep South? In the second of a three-part series, our Political Desk analyses the challenges in pursuing a peace process.

 

The eight-party coalition expected to form the new government led by the Move Forward Party faces tough challenges mapping out a new peace initiative in the restive South, according to members of the working group.

Among the progressive ideas being considered are demilitarization and decentralization of the region.

 

Peace in the predominantly Muslim region has been earmarked as a priority by the new coalition and they intend to deliver some concrete outputs within the first 100 days of the new government taking office.

 

While many governments in the past have struggled to contain violence orchestrated by faceless insurgents since 2004, this will be the first major effort to resolve the southern crisis as the new coalition strives to translate the people’s mandate they got from the May 14 election to bring peace to the region.

 

By Thai PBS World’s Political Desk

 

#news

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/uphill-task-to-demilitarize-and-decentralize-thailands-deep-south-for-lasting-peace/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-07-04

 

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[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

How will the coalition partners reconcile their differences in approach towards resolving the long-running conflict in the predominantly Muslim deep South?

Stop ramming Bangkok down their throats?

[bignok]

20 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Stop ramming Bangkok down their throats?

Put up a new border. Let them rule themselves. Good luck.

[h90]

11 minutes ago, bignok said:

Put up a new border. Let them rule themselves. Good luck.

Would need a lot framework first....A referendum with a long public discussion before.

[Srikcir]

1 hour ago, bignok said:

Put up a new border. Let them rule themselves. Good luck.

You don't need a new border.

Just re-establish the original border for auto/semi- autonomy defined by the previous Kingdom of Patani that coincides with the current northern border for the Southern provinces.

Good luck with the decades of national bigotry though towards the Malay Muslims.

[bignok]

1 minute ago, Srikcir said:

You don't need a new border.

Just re-establish the original border for auto/semi- autonomy defined by the previous Kingdom of Patani that coincides with the current northern border for the Southern provinces.

Good luck with the decades of national bigotry though towards the Malay Muslims.

Give it to Malaysia.

[kimamey]

2 hours ago, bignok said:

Put up a new border. Let them rule themselves. Good luck.

Do you know how religion would be dealt with if that was done? Would those of Buddhist and other non Muslim faiths, plus those of no faith be able to continue as before? What guarantees of religious freedom would there be and how would that be enforced?

 

If not, would those affected be relocated? What about families which are of mixed faiths?

 

Your idea sounds good, but there are many questions. 

[bignok]

4 minutes ago, kimamey said:

Do you know how religion would be dealt with if that was done? Would those of Buddhist and other non Muslim faiths, plus those of no faith be able to continue as before? What guarantees of religious freedom would there be and how would that be enforced?

 

If not, would those affected be relocated? What about families which are of mixed faiths?

 

Your idea sounds good, but there are many questions. 

Non muslims move north. 

[kimamey]

22 minutes ago, bignok said:

Non muslims move north. 

How many people would that involve? What would it cost? Would they move just north of the new border, causing a big population rise in that area, or would they spread out? How much would this cost and who would pay?

 

Your idea amounts to 4 sentences and 15 words so far. I'm not sure that really covers the complexity of the issue to be honest. 

Edited July 4, 2023 by kimamey

[MarcelV]

I see a lot of 'solutions' being proposed here, but don't you think we should ask the locals what they want? Both Muslims and Buddhists of course.

Do not repeat the mistake of 1909.

[zzaa09]

3 hours ago, h90 said:

Would need a lot framework first....A referendum with a long public discussion before.

You might be surprised as to the level and competency for these folks to rule themselves. 

Though, I really suspect that the majority of the everyday population of the four southern provinces would prefer to remain part of Thailand. 

 

Contrary to popular notions regarding the myth of breaking free, most would prefer to remain Thai. 

It's the handful of extreme militants and revolutionaries that receive the attention and ado, therefore creating this backdrop of what is considered to be the majority mindset. That's not the way the true situation is at all.......the rebellious few do not speak for the vast majority. 

 

For decades, these affairs have been overblown, exaggerated and misinterpreted by numerous circles creating false narratives to as what is and what isn't.

[lungbing]

If Thailand ceded those provinces to Malaysia the militants would just move their violence northwards.

[herfiehandbag]

One of the problems I would suggest is that there are so many different groups and agencies which make up the "Security Forces". Conventional army, Rangers, other militias, paramilitary groups and of course all sorts of police units. This being Thailand this alphabet soup of acronyms will all operate as autonomous groups (personal fiefdoms) with different priorities approaches, funding and loyalties. The one thing which will unite them will be a reluctance to take instructions from a civilian government in Bangkok, especially a "progressive" one.

 

Getting this paramilitary smorgasbord under control will certainly be an uphill task!

Edited July 4, 2023 by herfiehandbag

[Tazmo]

I am wondering if the solution Britain used to solve the Northern Ireland problem isn’t worth considering?

USA I believe was instrumental in bringing about peace there, because many Americans are of Irish descent.

Maybe Thailand should try the same and get another country involved in negotiations, maybe Malaysia?

There has to be some kind of negotiations, surely?

[Srikcir]

18 hours ago, bignok said:

Give it to Malaysia.

Yes, that's where Patani belongs culturally, ethnically and historically by common religion and sharia law. In fact "Patani" citizens can hold dual Malaysian citizenship the list of which the RTM has tried to obtain and failed.

 

However, the Federation of Malaysia ( previously the Kingdom of Malaysia) had in effect conceded such annexation when Britain offered Malaysia the Muslim Kingdom of Kedah (also on the southern border of the Kingdom of Siam) in junction with Britain's offer to the Buddhist Kingdom of Siam the Muslim Kingdom of Patani. 

 

But I believe that Thailand is too closely tied to Patini's natural resources to ever give up its economic interests and political power gained through the RTM's dominance over the region. Even to allow Patani autonomy or semi-autonomy could divert enough of the region's economic and political power away from Thailand's pro-royalists/RTM and weaken them nationally as a power block.