Confusion reigns on 'peace processes' in the deep South

Insurgents behind the violence in the South have used their attacks to gain attention from international organisations in a bid to draw them into the problem, Army Commander in Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha recently proclaimed to the media.

Prayuth's statement came a day after insurgents laun ched an attack on a security outpost in Patani's Sai Buri district, drawing a reinforcement unit into a trap where a roadside bomb and gunfire wounded six soldiers.

The conflict in the Malay-speaking South is Thailand's internal affair and the authorities are making their best effort to deal with the problem, Prayuth said.

Unfortunately, their best is not good enough, and insurgents continue to hit whereever they like.

Billions have been spent to win them over and yet, local Malay Muslims, who account for more than 80 per cent of the local population, continue to turn a blind eye to the activities of the insurgents, as a way of providing tactical support. In some remote communities, armed insurgents walk around freely, strolling in and out of village teashops as if they are the actual law and order. Residents may not agree with the brutality but they certainly share the same sentiment as the militants on the ground.

Prayuth said the presence of international organisations would complicate the problem. But no one really understands what Prayuth's assumption is based upon. After all, if the insurgents wanted to attract international attention, they would not confine the violence to the Muslim-majority South.

It's only a few hours drive from the deep South to a number of high-profile tourist attractions in the upper South. Moreover, an overnight train ride can get them into Bangkok. The materials the insurgents have been using to make explosives can be easily purchased from local hardware stores.

The problem with Prayuth and other conservative Thai bureaucrats is that they do not want to debate the legitimacy of the Thai state in the Malay historical homeland. If they did, they would see that the Malays embrace a different cultural and historical narrative from the rest of the country.

One way out of this confrontation, argues Professor Thanet Aphornsuvan in an East-West Centre publication, "Rebellion in Southern Thailand: Contending Histories", is to acknowledge the differences.

"Without a basic understanding and appreciation of each other's cultures and ethno-religious identities, it will be difficult to have positive political will on both sides to seriously tackle the problems," Thanet said. "Hitherto, Bangkok sees the problem in the South as a separatist threat, while the Malay-Muslims see it as one of cultural and ethnic survival," he added. For a lasting peace to endure, said Thanet, "the Malay-Muslims must be allowed a significant role in bringing peace and prosperity back to the region".

But Bangkok has a tendency to think it knows best. Worse, Prayuth is basically saying things have to be done the Army's way or no way. That's why he immediately came out against the idea of autonomy for the region when it was floated by Yingluck Shinawatra during the last edlection campaign.

Incidentally no Pheu Thai candidate, all campaigning on the autonomy ticket, got a single seat in the region.

As expected, Yingluck and Pheu Thai went back on their word. Being indifferent to the Malays' feelings cost them nothing in political terms because they know the general public is indifferent to the Malays' predicament.

Perhaps autonomy is not the answer. Perhaps it is more about justice and equality, as the Patani Forum's executive director Ekkarin Tuansiri, a speaker at a recent event at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand, pointed out.

The European Union's ambassador to Thailand, David Lipman, in his key keynote speech at the FCCT event, suggested granting the Malays greater cultural space, such as strengthening bilingual education so that the mother tongue is used alongside the official Thai.

Lipman has a point. In 2007, the then military-appointed government of Surayud Chulanont launched a pilot project in which several elementary schools in the region were permitted to teach the local Malay language and Islamic studies. During that year, insurgents torched more than 100 public schools. The following year, less than ten schools came under arson attack.

The key to the success, said the then vice governor of Yala, Grisada Boonrach, was making sure that religious teachers and clerics at the local level have a say in the curriculum. "It's about ownership," said Grisada, currently the governor of Songkhla.

And yet, no one in the security forces or policy-makers cares to seriously look into that particular development. If they had done, they would have lost face because many conservatives had all along played down the idea of Malay being used as a "working language" alongside Thai.

With regard to foreign influence, it is sad that Prayuth did not have the gumption to admit that, during the Surayud administration, the government sought help from the international community, neighbouring countries and foreign mediators to help resolve the conflict. Whether these initiatives produced any meaningful outcome is another matter. But having access to information about these initiatives is not below Prayuth's pay grade. It seems he can't come to terms with a reality he does not like.

Today a number of government agencies - the Army, Police, Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre (SBPAC), National Security Council (NSC) - foreign governments, retired and active politicians, local and foreign think tanks, as well as local and international NGOs with mediation experience, are exploring the idea of a peace process. Many are running around looking for separatist leaders to talk to. The fact that there are so many of so-called peace-brokers suggests that there is no single ownership of the process. Some of these peace-brokers have tried to get a buy-in from the local community and religious leaders.

But without a meaningful and identifiable process mandated by the state, the government and "mediators" can forget about getting support from the ground to endorse their noble and ambitious activities.

Along with his public apology for atrocities committed against the people of Patani, Surayud called on various Thai government agencies to work with the international community to seek non-military means to end this conflict once and for all. Most of these tracks fizzled out in the following administrations of (the late) Samak Sundaravej and Somchai Wongsawat. But during the Abhisit administration, a number of "peace processes" surfaced, hoping to get a mandate for mediation.

According to one Cabinet member of the Abhisit government, the NSC issued a statement of intent to explain its ongoing dialogue with one of the long-standing separatist groups through one foreign mediator. The Cabinet did not endorse it, and Abhisit would only acknowledge it informally because, according to the source, the then prime minister needed deniability.

That doesn't mean that Abhisit wasn't aware that various Thai security and intelligence agencies, as well as the international community, were talking to various separatist groups. The PM just couldn't be seen to sanction these initiatives because it was too sensitive politically, the source said.

But the NSC-backed process could very well come to an end now that one of Pheu Thai's favourite bureaucrats is heading SBPAC. Sources in the government say that Thawee Sodsong wants to negotiate with the separatist leaders and end this conflict. His problem is that there are so many people out there who claim to be leader of this or that group.

Even if Thawee is barking up the right tree, exiled leaders from long-standing separatist groups say it still won't be easy. Besides the territorial nature of these mediators and so-called peace processes, the separatist leaders are disunited and many are competing among themselves. Worse, they don't seem to have adequate command and control over the militants on the ground.

And for any peace process to have any meaning, the leaders would have to demonstrate to the insurgents that they can come up with deliverables.

The insurgents on the ground are not in a hurry to enter into any peace process or dialogue or whatever the involved parties want to call it. As far as the militants are concerned, they can attack just about any place, any time. The recent ambush in Sai Buri was testimony to that.

Don Pathan

3 dead in Yala, 6 wounded in Patani

PATANI DARUSALAM: - Three people were killed in two separate attacks on Sunday night in Yala province.

About 11pm, Aree Topho, 21, a villager, was shot three times in the chest while travelling on a motorcycle on a road near Kg. Prama in Mukim Seteng Nok of Muang district by the pillion rider of another motorcycle.

He died later at the hospital. Thai Police were investigating.

About the same time, Manso Wanteh, 55, an assistant village chief, and Awang Juyo, a village defence volunteer, were killed when the pillion riders of two motorcycles opened fire at their car with an AK47 and M16 rifles.

The attack happened on Thathong-Raman road in Raman district of Yala.

Also on Sunday night, in nearby Patani province, Patani guerellas opened fire at the outpost of a unit of Task Force 26 at Chalako Villge in mukim Bendang Dalam of Sai Buri district with small arms, but inflicted no casualties.

A team of six soldiers were rished from a nearby outpost at Wat Sakkhi in Mukim Lahan to Chalako willege on receiving a request for reinforcements.

While their pick-up truck was passing a village on Sai Buri-Kapho road in Mukim Bendang Dalam, the vehicle ran over a bomb which detonated.

All six soldiers, led by Capt Suchart Rodpol, in the vehicle were wounded in the explosion.

The other wounded Thai soldiers are M/Sgt Therdthai Thongwan, M/Sgt Sithisak Sangkham, 37, M/Sgt Ekachat Sawiphan, 45, M/Sgt Wattana Wilanokrum, 43, and Pvt Ekapong Chanchula, 22.

Police blamed Patani freedom fighters.

Cop, Son Shot Dead in Pattani

PATANI DARUSALAM: The Thai Police Chief in Patani Province has ordered a manhunt for unknown gunmen who shot and killed a Thai police senior sergeant major and his 14-year-old son.

The security cameras at the crime scene proved to be useless to the investigation since they were not operational.

The Thai Police officers inspected a crime scene on a local road in Patani's Saiburi (Teluban)District where two people were shot dead and the bodies were transferred to a local hospital in the district.


The two were later identified as 50-year-old Police Senior Sergeant Major Sathaporn Kongput and his 14-year-old son Patcharapol Kongput.

Sathaporn, who was a police officer at the Teluban District Police Station, and his son were killed with multiple gunshots from an M-16 and a nine-millimeter pistol.

Entry wounds were detected on their torsos and heads.

The Thai authorities found 21 M-16 shell casings and three other casings from a nine-millimeter handgun at the scene.

Thai Police blamed Patani freedom fighters.

More than 5000 people have been killed and about 9,000 injured in the three southern border provinces of Narathiwat, Patani, Yala and songkla since the violence erupted afresh in January 2004.



Initial investigation found that the policeman was waiting to see his son off to school when unknown number of insurgents drove a pick-up truck and parked in front them.

The militants then opened fire at the father and son in front of many local villagers who were driving past the scene.

The group of insurgents also fled the scene and made off with the police officer's nine-millimeter handgun and a motorcycle.

The police officer and his son were killed instantly

After the incident, commissioner of the Pattani Provincial Police, Police Major General Pichet Pitisetthaphan ordered a speedy manhunt for the group of gunmen.

The Pattani police chief believes that the gunmen were members of a local insurgent group and knew the victims' daily routine very well.

Meanwhile, many security cameras at the crime scene were not operational.

This has caused widespread criticisms among the locals over the inefficiency of state officials

One killed in Patani gun attack

PATANI DARUSALAM: A man was shot dead on Bendang Dalam-Kapho Road near a village in tambon Karubi in Patani's Kapho district yesterday afternoon.


The man, identified as state employee Vorasit Phuenpha, 39, sustained three gunshots to his body.

Eyewitnesses told to Thai kolonia police that the victim, who was on a motorcycle, had been shot by one of the two men following him on another motorbike. The incident took place at about 1pm.

Later at about 2.30pm, a bomb exploded at a motorcycle parking area in front of Pattana Islam School in Patani's Muang district, damaging three motorcycles but causing no casualties.

Mustopa Matrudin, 26, a teacher of the school and owner of one of the damaged motorcycles, told police that some people saw two teenagers arrive on a motorcycle and put an object under his vehicle's seat before leaving shortly before the bomb exploded.

Enam Pejuang Patani Tewas Ditembak Tentara Thailad

Menara (SI ONLINE) - Sekurang-kurangnya enam orang terbunuh dalam beberapa kejadian tembakan secara terpisah di wilayah etnik Melayu yang sedang bergolak di selatan Thailand, Jumat (6/1/2012).

Kepala Polisi Siam di Distrik Jabat (Resak), Kolonel Satanpah Wamasingha mengatakan dalam kejadian pertama, kira-kira 30 orang yang diduga bagian dari pejuang Pembebasan Patani Darusalam, menyerang sebuah pos polisi di Menara dan menembak mati dua orang aparatnya.

“Kelompok Pejuang Pembebasan Patani Darusalam menyerbu asrama pada dini hari ketika aparat berkenaan masih tidur kira-kira jam 2. 45 dini hari. Mereka juga sempat merampas beberapa laras senjata M-16 dan AK-47 serta peluru-pelurunya, tiga aparat lainnya luka dalam serangan itu”, demikian seperti dilaporkan aktivis Patani United Liberation Organization (PULO), Abu jihad, kepada Suara Islam Online melalui surat elektronik, Ahad (8/1/2012).

“Mereka merancang serangan ini dengan rapi sebagai balasan atas kemenangan polisi penjajah Siam menyerbu dan memusnahkan dua gudang senjata mereka (pejuang Patani, red) Desember lalu”, kata Abu Jihad.

Di wilayah yang sama awal pagi tersebut (6/1/2012), kelompok lelaki bersenjata menembak mati seorang lelaki dan melukai isterinya ketika mereka menaiki kendaraan di bandar Sungai Golok.

Sementara di Patani, dua lelaki terbunuh dan seorang lagi terluka dalam dua kejadian tembakan dari kendaraan awal tengah hari ini. Seorang penduduk kampung juga ditembak mati dalam perjalanan pulang ke rumah daripada bekerja di sebuah perkebunan karet di Yala.

Hingga saat ini, aktivis hak asasi Deep South Watch menyatakan, pergolakan di wilayah etnik Melayu atau Patani Darusalam sudah menewaskan kira-kira 5000 jiwa dan mencederai 8300 orang sejak konflik itu meletus. Pergolakan antara penjajah Thailand dengan masyarakat Melayu Patani secara serius dimulai sejak 2004 lalu.

Penduduk di selatan Thailand yang mayoritas Bangsa Melayu beragama Islam mengaku, mereka kerap menjadi korban diskriminasi dan tindakan keras pihak berkuasa Thailand, termasuk penganiayaan oleh aparat kemanan.

Sebelumnya, pada Selasa (3/01/2012), dua tentara Penjajah Thailand yang sedang menaiki sebuah truk terkena ledakan bom di pinggir jalan. Dua tentera Thailand itu, Lt. Direksan (26) dan Sgt Yutthaya Jampa (25) saat itu dalam perjalanan ke satu pesta menyambut tahun baru di Bandar Patani. Keduanya tewas di tempat kejadian.

Rep: shodiq ramadhan

Assalamu alaikum wr.wb

Six killed in bombing, shooting in Yala

PATANI DARUSALAM: - A bomb explosion killed five defence volunteers, and a rubber tapper was shot dead in Yala on Friday, Thais police said, the latest violent incident in a region plagued for seven years by Patani freedom fighters unrest.

Suspected Patani freedom fighters detonated a bomb buried in a road as a truck carrying six defence volunteers drove to the scene of a shooting at a rubber plantation during the night, in which a Buddhist man was shot dead.

Five of the volunteers were killed and the other seriously wounded in Narathiwat, one of three Malay Muslim-dominated provinces bordering Malaysia.

Rebels often carry out shootings as a trap to lure security forces into an ambush. Bombs are buried in roads or close to the scene of shootings and detonated as groups of police or soldiers arrive to investigate.

Four rangers were wounded in a similar incident in Yala on Thursday when a bomb exploded under their vehicle as they rushed to the scene of a gunfight in a village where a man and his 5-year-old daughter were killed.

More than 4,600 people have been killed in violence since January 2004 in the once independent Malay Muslim region encompassing the Yala, Patani and Narathiwat provinces, which were annexed by Thailand, then known as Siam, in 190