The Muslim Province In Thailand Where Peace Reigns

[Jai Dee]

The Muslim province where peace reigns

Satun – Mention Thailand’s southern border provinces and most will think of bomb-ravaged tea shops, Humvees packed with soldiers and bullet-ridden corpses lying by the roadside.

But there are some parts of the country’s Muslim heartland that have been spared the daily violence that has gripped the region for the past two years. While an Islamic separatist insurgency is raging in Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, in nearby Satun it’s a different story.

Despite its similar culture and history, this sleepy province has not suffered a single case of militant violence since a wave of bombings, shootings and beheadings swept across this once independent region, leaving close to 1,200 people dead.

Satun Muslims insist they are moderates and that separatism will never take a hold in the province.

“I don’t believe the violence will ever spread here,” says Kusim Hamid, a deputy imam at the gold-domed Bambang Mosque in the heart of the provincial capital, where dozens of Muslims have gathered for evening prayers.

“There’s no support for these militants. Satun Muslims are different from those in the other southern provinces. They’re less radical. They’re not against the government.”

Satun, together with Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani, was part of a Malay-Muslim sultanate annexed by Thailand in 1902. After years of being forced to assimilate into the Thai-Buddhist mainstream, many Thai Muslims have rebelled against Bangkok rule, saying they are neglected by the state and treated like second class citizens.

But while anti-government sentiment in the three restive provinces is high, exacerbated by draconian emergency laws and the presence of thousands of armed troops, there are few gripes from people in Satun.

“We are proud to be part of Thailand,” says Abdulloh, a well-groomed 60-year-old dressed in a kapiyoh skullcap and checkered sarong – traditional Islamic dress once banned by the Thai government.

“Those in the other Muslim provinces have always resisted becoming part of Thailand. That has never been the case here.”

Arul, a shop owner, says many people have fled the troubled provinces and sought sanctuary among the Muslim communities in Satun, which account for 80 percent of the local population.

“Islam is a religion of peace and no one wants these killings,” he says in Thai, and not the Yawi dialect spoken by most people in the deep South. “Many have moved here to escape the violence and we have welcomed them.”

Analysts and locals say the fact that most people in Satun speak Thai and send their children to government schools illustrates a desire to be part of the Thai mainstream.

“They speak Thai, they have been assimilated into the Thai social structure and there is no history of conflict with the state,” says Srisomphop Jitphiromsri, a prominent southern analyst at the Prince of Songkhla University in Pattani.

“I don’t think there will be any violence there because they have no history of separatism.”

Jak, a Buddhist bar owner, says militant groups have not tried to recruit supporters in Satun because few people sympathize with their violent campaign.

“People here have more open minds,” he says defiantly. “No one will harbor those who kill innocent people. They aren’t scared to report things to the authorities.”

Arabinda Acharya, a Singapore-based security analyst, says Satun is Thailand’s Muslim success story, and could be used as an example of good governance in the troubled region.

“This has given the local government a lot of confidence that this Muslim province has managed to stay peaceful,” he said.

A series of public relations exercises in Satun, launched when the southern violence flared in 2004, may have helped keep the province free from militancy.

Local people and religious leaders have been encouraged to report extremists and suspected militants to the authorities, while the names of those asking to stay overnight in mosques are subjected to background checks by the police.

“Local Muslims here are peaceful and moderate,” says Governor Manit Wattanasen. “They know that any violence here will damage all sections of our society, so everyone cooperates.”

Manit says many people fear rebels could start to attack targets in Satun, although he insists separatist insurgents will struggle to operate without local support.

“This violence only occurs when there are militants or sympathizers within Islamic communities,” he says. “Without the support of the local people, it will be difficult for militancy to take a hold here.”

But not all people share Manit’s optimism. Pradit, a national park employee, highlights increased navy patrols and reports of gun-running via the west coast province as reasons to suspect Satun could become the next battleground in the southern insurgency.

“Many people think there are militants living in Satun, but no one will say,” he says. “I worry that if they have a successful campaign in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, they could come here and start attacking people.”

Source: ThaiDay - 15 February 2006

[Kerryd]

“Many people think there are militants living in Satun, but no one will say,” he says. “I worry that if they have a successful campaign in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, they could come here and start attacking people.”

Source: ThaiDay - 15 February 2006

Good on them. I hope Satun continues to be a beacon of moderation for others.

Unfortunately, it's not likely to last long. While the residents of Satun as a whole may be moderate, eventually their more radical neighbours will eventually move into the province, using it as a safe have and base of operations. Once that happens, those radicals will start spreading their inflammatory messages through the mosques and into the general population. If the general population doesn't respond favourably to the radicals, then you could expect to see the same kind of violence as is happening in the neighbouring provinces.

Sad to say, but I think I'll save this story and see if it still holds true in a year or two.

[kurgen]

I believe this is what's meant by the term " A breath of fresh air "

Maybe there is hope yet