Education Needed Before Militant Violence Will End: Thai Editorial

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EDITORIAL

Education needed before militant violence will end

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Lack of understanding seems to be prolonging the southern insurgency, with the government and local people no closer to comprehending each other

It has been almost a decade since insurgent violence broke out in the three southernmost provinces. But, in spite of the massive amount of money the government has spent, we have been unable to bring about peace.

The failure to fix the problem partly stems from the responsible agencies and other parties involved misreading at the actual causes.

The prolonged conflict cannot be fixed by money alone. The issue requires understanding of the historical and cultural situation in the deep South. Justice must also be provided through the fair distribution of wealth and access to employment opportunities and education.

According to Srisomphop Jitpiromsri, a lecturer in the Faculty of Political Science at Prince Songkhla University in Pattani, more than 11,000 violent incidents occurred between January 2001 and May 2012, with about 14,000 people either killed or injured so far.

The number of incidents was highest from 2004 to 2007. Since 2007 the number has gradually fallen, to between 60 and 100 per month. But the violence is still worrisome because the volume of injury and death has not declined significantly. In fact, some insurgents have increased the severity of their attacks. Sadly, this situation looks likely to continue.

But it would be wrong to assume it's impossible to fix the problem, even though it will take great effort from everyone involved. It requires understanding about the heart of the problem - which is essentially about different identities, histories and religions.

The situation has also become more complicated in recent years partly because of widespread drug trafficking and poverty in the region.

A recent seminar on the issue threw up many proposals that should be considered. For instance, the model for administrative power and decentralisation should ensure that the culture and background of local people is respected and honoured. At the same time there should be an effort to instil a sense of national pride.

Resources and finances for the deep South should be fairly distributed. The government has spent a huge amount of money to try and pacify the region through economic incentives, but locals criticise the distribution as being unfair. They say the money is not reaching the people who need help the most. In fact, the farming sector in the southern provinces has been declining in part because of the insurgency.

The use of military force will not convince people that the situation will become safe, either. The government has more than 150,000 security personnel in the region, including troops and policemen, as well as village defence volunteers and paramilitary forces. But the use of extensive force has also failed to quell the violence or increase the confidence of local people.

The government and responsible agencies are trying to win the hearts and minds of local people and protect them from the insurgents, but their effort requires unity on the part of the government.

The conflict should also be resolved based on the concept of local participation, avoidance of the use of force, a balance of power between local and central governments, respect for human rights and the rule of law, and the operational integration of all government agencies.

Unlike insurgencies elsewhere in the world, no body or group has come out to claim responsibility for the violence in the southern border provinces. The situation is very different from what happened during the Cold War, according to Colonel Chinnawat Maendet, a representative of the Internal Security Operations Command Area 4. He said the insurgents launch propaganda campaigns by distributing leaflets to distort the truth and to create confusion locally and among people outside the region. This distorted information has led to arguments within Thai society over the source and reasons for the violence.

Suspicion and opinion, as well as the government's failure to understand the real causes of the situation, are behind the ongoing insurgency. Education needs to be boosted on either side to create understanding. Indeed, access to better education would increase the opportunities for local people, and ultimately their wellbeing. The authorities also need to be educated to obtain a better understanding of the southern people's way of life and of the historical grievances that have led us to this juncture. These deep-rooted issues cannot be resolved through prejudice and ignorance.

-- The Nation 2012-07-04

[InseeDaeng]

lol, thais versus muslims. Copromise and mutual respect expected???

Will go on until muslims loves their children more than they hate "kuffar" and thais are able to respect other ways of life and understand that their "instilling of national pride" is for many people more provocative than helping!