Is There Genuine Desire For Peace In The Deep South?

[webfact]

EDITORIAL

Is there genuine desire for peace in the deep South?

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- None of the actors involved - the government, the insurgents, or international observers like the OIC - seem wholly committed to ending the ongoing insurgency.

In less than two weeks, foreign ministers from member countries of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) - Thailand has permanent observer status - will gather in the northeast African country of Djibouti to discuss strategies to promote peace and mutual development and strengthen cooperation.

The conflict in the southernmost Thai provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat will be on the agenda again, and Bangkok is struggling to get the OIC Secretariat to tone down the discussion for fear that the country will lose face in the international community.

But with or without OIC discussion and criticism of the issue, Bangkok has lost face for much of the past decade, ever since the current wave of Malay-Muslim separatists resurfaced to take up arms against the state.

Publicly, Thai officials and diplomats have always insisted that they are on the right path toward resolving this internal conflict, and have dismissed all offers of help from outsiders, including the OIC.

But after eight years of saying the same thing, Thai officials and diplomats are now admitting that the official line - the one that accuses the insurgents of embracing a wrong version of history and a false teaching of Islam - has become increasingly embarrassing. More to the point, it is somewhat arrogant for Buddhists to tell Muslims how to be good Muslims.

Secret talks held since 2005 with exiled separatist leaders have not produced the desired outcome because our political leaders have not backed our officials with full political commitment. Notice how every time news about these secret talks becomes public knowledge, our policy-makers immediately pour cold water on it?

The OIC granted Thailand permanent observer status in 1998 during the Chuan Leekpai government, which believed it was important to build stronger ties with the Islamic world. Granting of that status was seen as a stamp of approval from the OIC as to how Thailand treats it Muslim minority. But relations between Thailand and its Muslim citizens have never been a problem. Thai Muslims have never challenged the legitimacy or sovereignty of the Thai state. The Malays in the deep South have.

Apparently the OIC took a big leap of faith in 1998, believing that the Malays of Patani had come to terms with their place in Thailand's nation-state and that historical resentment and mistrust of Siam/Thailand - feelings that feed into the separatist narrative - had subsided. Sad to say, the most significant outcome from the OIC observer status was Thailand using it to block Patani-Malay separatist movements from obtaining the same status at the organisation.

With more than 5,000 insurgency-related deaths since January 2004, it is safe to say that the country, and the world for that matter, have underestimated the cultural narrative and the historical resentment of the Patani-Malays towards the Thai state. Thai officials often argue that it is only a handful of people who have taken up arms. What they won't say is that there is a vast network of support in the region for the insurgents. Few villagers ever step up to identify the young men who bury roadside bombs or carry out ambushes.

Hard-pressed to score political points, Thai security and military officials have in recent months decided to carry out staged "surrenders" of those they claim to be part of the armed movement. All the while, insurgent attacks are becoming more violent, forcing political leaders in Bangkok to put on a brave face when in fact they are really dancing to the militants' tune.

The OIC has over the past decade tried to mediate between Thailand and the separatists, but Bangkok continues to give it the cold shoulder. Even leaders of the long-standing separatist movements say they never had much faith in the OIC because the organisation had given Bangkok the status they covet themselves. Besides, they don't think an organisation like the OIC, made up of 57 states and a handful of international organisations, can sympathise with non-state actors like them.

The OIC has been paying lip service to the idea of peace for the past three decades, but is not willing to put serious pressure on Thailand to push for change. For it to be taken seriously, and if it really cares about the Malay-Muslims in southern Thailand, the OIC will have to go beyond this and show some serious commitment to fostering peace.

-- The Nation 2012-11-01

[LucidLucifer]

So saving face is more important than saving lives?

That is the sad face of Thailand......

Edited October 31, 2012 by LucidLucifer

[chainarong]

From one particular Quarter NO

[asiawatcher]

Would it not be sensible to have an armistice for 60 days, invite the OIC to Thailand and sit down with the parties down south and try to resolve it all? Unless there is an agreement to disarm and allow peace talks, it can never work. The laying down of arms and a guarantee by the separatists no violence or retribution attacks will take place subject to the OIC coming here, is only a start, but a necessary one. But Bangkok has to see it has no answer at this point so they have to try a different solution.

[jerrysteve]

The Answer to that Question is in the question itself.

If there was GENUINE DESIRE for Peace, there would already be one.

[pisico]

So saving face is more important than saving lives?

That is the sad face of Thailand......

It is a complicated situation made even harder to solve because of the parties involved. Islam by nature of its tenets ambitions expansion and dominance of the world as it states there is only one God and only on prophet. All others are infidels.

Thais have a tradition of feeling resentful of their neighbors East and West. Conflicts and invasions and raids from Burmese and never ending armed conflict with Cambodia. Thailand reached the conclusion many years ago that peace is attained by means of annexation. Large part of Buriram was the ancient Khmer empire, for instance. Down South we have Patani which is no different.

How can peace be reached with such opposing and different stances? Islam would gladly take over the South and the rest of Thailand. Thailand would gladly invade another chunk of Malaysia to ensure "peace" but, to each and every action there will be a reaction of opposite direction and sign, as the laws of Thermodynamics have taught us. To save face is but one of the elements in this complex issue of the South. Fruitful negotiations? Unlikely. Escalating hostilities? Unavoidable. I hope I am wrong on both counts.

[sunshine51]

"Is there genuine desire for peace in the deep South?"

No...simple as that...as long as the Thai Government refuses to

admit that everything they have tried has been a failure and

begin to seek outside help...the "troubles" in the South will

remain...and "Peace" will only be a pipe dream.

Edited November 1, 2012 by sunshine51

[BEVUP]

Never will be

You only have to look around the world & on the news everyday

Of course anyone would do acourse to get out of jail free

[osiboy]

"Is there genuine desire for peace in the deep South?"

No...simple as that...as long as the Thai Government refuses to

admit that everything they have tried has been a failure and

begin to seek outside help...the "troubles" in the South will

remain...and "Peace" will only be a pipe dream.

are you aware that the vast majority murdered in the south are thai buddhists , there is no easy answer but one thing you can count on is they wont stop murdering until they achieve their goal of self governance,...........muslims are the same the world over, ...give them one or 2 states/provinces in the south and they will demand the next one and the next one for their ever increasing population of families due to islamic teachings ........well, they CAN "go forth and multiply "....as long as its not in my back yard !

[David48]

Insurgency in southern Thailand far from resolution

From the Australian ABC's Newsline program ... HERE

Political stand offs in Thailand are distracting the government from focussing on a resolution to the insurgency in the country's south.

I make no comment about this, except to bring it to your attention.

[hellodolly]

There will never be peace as long as Islam is involved.

Way to many lunatics wiling to blow them selves up or plant bombs on roads or just plain shoot people in the name of Allah.

They talk of self government. What a laugh they have never in history had it they have always been a part of one empire or another.

[roamer]

I wonder if one day Thailand will look back upon these days as a window of opportunity that passed them by ?

Their not going to go away you know.

[notmyself]

"Is there genuine desire for peace in the deep South?"

No...simple as that...as long as the Thai Government refuses to

admit that everything they have tried has been a failure and

begin to seek outside help...the "troubles" in the South will

remain...and "Peace" will only be a pipe dream.

So the government admits everything thus far has been a failure and jogs off to 'xxxx' because then have a proven track record? 'xxxx' is?