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October 10, 2006

Thailand: Hopes For Peace In The Muslim South

Since the bloodless army coup of September 19, led by a Muslim general, Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, Thailand has entertained hopes that a lasting peace agreement can be found in the four Muslim provinces in the south. These provinces, Pattani, Songkhla, Yala and Narathiwat, are predominantly Muslim, and formerly belonged to an independent sultanate, called Pattani, which also included parts of what is now Malaysia. This sultanate became annexed into Siam (Thailand) a century ago.

Since January 4, 2004, an insurgency has been mounted by local Muslims, many of these wishing for the former domains of Pattani sultanate to become independent from Thailand. An estimated 1,700 people have been killed since the current insurgency began.

Before he led the coup, General Sonthi had encouraged negotiations and talks with Muslim inhabitants in the south. During the rule of the Thai Rak Party of Thaksin Shinawatra, which ended with the coup, the government had been sending contradictory messages to the south, with some calling for an "iron fist" policy against the insurgents, and others calling for reconciliation.

Despite initial hopes for peace in the south, the killings have continued. From the date of the coup to October 2, there were 19 shootings, three explosions and four arson attacks in the south. 14 people were killed in these attacks, and 14 more were injured.

On October 4, six rangers in Rangae district of Narathiwat were injured and their truck damaged as they drove down a road around 1 pm. A bomb, concealed in a sewage pipe and triggered by a detonating cord, was set off by the side of the road as the vehicle passed.

Last weekend, 63 year old Surayud Chulanont was chosen by the "Council for Democratic Reform" as the acting prime minister of the country. Yesterday, a new cabinet was sworn in before the King, Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Also yesterday, the Ministry of Justice announced that a new body will be set up to administer justice, particularly emphasizing justice in the south. It will be called the "Administration of Justice Centre in the Three Southern Border Provinces".

The suggestion has again been made for talks to take place with the insurgents. When Sonthi Boonyaratkalin had suggested this to the government of Thaksin Shinawatra, the idea was rejected outright. It was believed that negotiations would lead to recognition of the insurgents. On Sept 16, three days before the coup, a meeting with Muslim representatives was held at Yala's central mosque, to discuss possible improvements to the southern situaion. This meeting had been organized by the Armed Forces Security Centre, with the approval of Sonthi Boonyaratkalin.

On October 5, Sonthi said that the leaders of some militant factions, including the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) Coordinate, have already made contact for the purpose of engaging with the proposed dialogue. It has been suggested that for the talks to be seen to be taken seriously, there should firstly be a ceasefire. If the leaders of the insurgents commit to this, it would show that they are in control of the violence, and therefore can help in the formation of the peace.

The mediator for these communications between the authorities and the militants is said to be Romree Uttarasin, brother of a former MP who became a militant leader.

Sonthi also suggested that the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC), a body which was dissolved under the Thaksin government, could be revived. He said: "We're weighing the pros and cons. Officials are studying the weak and strong points to make the best of it."

Formerly, Sonthi had been in charge of the army in the south. His role has now been replaced by Lieutenant-General Viroj Buacharoon. He confirmed that a go-between was being used to discuss peace measures. The new prime minister, Gen Surayud Chulanont, has a strong commitment to the peace process, and is said to understand the southern situation better than Thaksin, his predecessor.

A source close to the security bodies said that the proposals which had been made at Yala on September 16 had not been diminished by the coup. This source said: "Explosive violence such as coordinated arson attacks or bombings will subside, or even stop. But the so-called daily violence may continue, but to a lesser degree, however."

A source close to the militants contradicted this, saying that the coup had changed the power structure, and therefore posed an obstacle to the rebels. he said: "But it's unlikely they will stop. They will have to keep themselves active."

The Nation today reported that another insurgent group, the Pattani United Liberation Organization (Pulo), has said that the opportunity for peace talks must not be wasted. Currently, the leadership of Pulo is in exile in Sweden.

Kasturi Mahkota, Pulo's foreign affairs chief, yesterday said: "The negotiation plan is still a concept for a possible future solution and still has a long way to go. But some Thai authorities have already rushed to openly put some pre-conditions and caused confusion....As Thailand is now ruled by the junta, do they now have the real authority to act sincerely? Before staging the coup, why did their spokesman openly refuse to accept even the softest issue like a proposal of Malay as a working language?"

"This is a conflict about human rights abuse - the abuse of Patani rights by the Thais. One must understand that if a peaceful solution is needed for solving the conflict, it has to be up to all of us whether to grab the chance - or continue to live in misery."

Already there have been several meetings between a Thai intelligence agency and members of Pulo on the Malaysian island of Langkawi. These talks were convened by Malaysia's former prime minister, Mahathir Mohammed.

Another sign for improvement came when it was revealed two days ago that the Legal Centre for Reconciliation, established a year ago to push for justice for the people of Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani, has gained the trust of the local populace of these provinces. The centre gives legal advice and educates citizens about law procedures. It has also helped relatives of the victims of insurgent attacks, many of whom are themselves Muslim, to claim for compensation.

The announcement that the newly-appointed interior minister, Aree Wong=araya, a Muslim, has been met with approval by Muslims in the south. The chairman of the Pattani Islamic Committee, Waeduramae Mamingji, said: "He is competent and is very experienced in the local situation as he formerly was a district chief and governor in the three southernmost provinces."

Aree had formerly been an education minister, and had consulted with Muslim religious leaders. His work on solving education problems in the south had met with approval from members of the Muslim community.

Abdul Lohmae Jehsae, chairman of the Yala Islamic Committee, agreed that Aree was likely to do a far better job than his hawkish predecessor in the Thaksin government. Abdul said: "He is Muslim and gets along with local people. The prolonged southern problem should be tackled urgently to get rid of fears and build understanding."

Doroning Damae, the Yala Islamic commissioner, agreed that Aree was a "good and honest man".

But despite the hopes for peace, killings have continued. On Saturday, October 7, a rubber tapper and his son were shot dead by insurgents in the south. 52-year old Prayoon Yodthongthong and is 20-year old son Kittichai were on a motorcycle in Saba Yoi district in Songkhla province, returning home from their rubber plantation when they were shot by an individual gunman.

Yesterday morning, according to the Bangkok Post, a married couple were shot dead in their home. 38-year old Jeh-areh Pitarso and 35-year old Rohanee Mama, who were leading exporters of fruit to Malaysia, lived in Tak Bai district, Narathiwat. Four gunmen came to their house and shot them. They were pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at October 10, 2006 1:32 AM

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