Thailand’s underdeveloped and primarily Muslim southern provinces of Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat have been home to Malay Muslim separatist rebels for over two decades. Thai guerrillas in the south have become more active and increasingly Islamic in the past few years.
No Shortage of Reasons
The watershed event sparking the current wave of unrest was heavy-handed Thai security tactics used against suspected Muslim insurgents in Tak Bai, Narathiwat province in October 2004. Security forces conducted mass arrests, used tear gas, and implemented crude prisoner handling that left dozens dead . Violence flared following the October incident, and the government initiated a state of emergency, a euphemism for martial law, in July 2005 Currently, attacks and clashes continue with an estimated 1,500 people killed since 2004.
In June 2006, at least 40 bombs exploded in the south, killing two people and wounding at least 16 others . The devices detonated within minutes of each other, demonstrating a level of sophistication and coordination not usually seen in Thailand.
Insurgency or Jihad
Muslims make up more than 80% of the population in the three southernmost provinces, which were once part of the Muslim Kingdom of Pattani that was annexed by Thailand, then known as Siam, in 1902. Only a small number are violent. A larger percentage, however, are angry at what they perceive as sustained neglect by Bangkok. This anger provides fertile ground for violent Islamic extremists and a potentially offers an open invitation for foreign terrorists to organize locals.
? Al-Qaeda senior terrorist Isamuddin Ridduan, also known as Hambali, was arrested in Ayutthaya in central Thailand in October 2003 . Several Malay Thai religious leaders in the city stated they were shocked by his presence.
? In a 2004 Time magazine report, Thai security officials said interrogations revealed most insurgent leaders are young ustaz, or Islamic teachers, who spent their formative years in Pakistan and Afghanistan and then returned to Thailand.
? According to al-Jazeera, Thai security forces detained an Indonesian during arrests following the 40 simultaneous explosions in June. Police identified the man as Sabri bin Emaeruding from Sumatra. He was caught in possession of one kilogram of urea fertilizer and two kilos of nails. He was charged with entering the country illegally.
Local Thai security officials have little to lose by blaming the uncontrollable southern unrest on outsiders, and they have done so in the past. But, with tourism money hanging in the balance, the Bangkok government is keen to avoid being stamped as home to the next international jihad. According to the AP in late July, Thai Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon stated: “As far as the situation in the southern part of Thailand is concerned, there is no relationship with any international linkages of any sort.”
Little Good News
Resigned to the fact that emergency rules would not address the root causes of the unrest, in March 2005 Bangkok warily convened a 48 member National Reconciliation Commission. The council released its recommendation in June 2006, calling for the introduction of Islamic law to govern some aspects of southern life, making the Malay Yawi language the predominant tongue in the region, and establishing an unarmed peacekeeping presence.
These recommendations remain unimplemented by the beleaguered Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his May 2006 caretaker government, who some believe intentionally inflamed sentiments in the south to shore up support among the much large Buddist Thai population. Thailand has also accused its neighbor Malaysia of turning a blind eye to the presence of Thai Muslim rebels enjoying safehaven across the border.
While the political deadlock in Bangkok grinds on, Thai authorities are also jittery about a host of other security-related issues to include the economy, bird flu , and even tsunamis . As a result, the situation in the south will continue to fester, bringing unrest and misfortune to the local inhabitants, and?in TRC’s view–drawing foreign jihadis to the region.
