Here is a brief video about the never ending violence in southern Thailand. My comments follow.
MY COMMENTS:
From the late 1990s until 2004 I wrote two fortnightly newspaper columns - one in English in The SUN and the other column was in Malay in the Berita Minggu. Then on October 31st, 2003 Abdullah Badawi became prime minister. Soon after both of my newspaper columns were 'çancelled'. At that time I was pro-Mahathir so in the ethnic cleansing that comes with every new prime minister I lost both my newspaper columns.
I recall that in my very last column in The Sun I predicted that violence would break out in southern Thailand. At that time things were quiet in southern Thailand. Then exactly as I had predicted, in January 2004 there was a major attack by the Patani insurgents against the Thai government. That violence has continued until today.
That Thai podcaster is completely clueless as to why this problem is persisting for so long.
1. DISTANCE: Pattani is 1,000 km away from the center in Bangkok. Plus the southern Thai Malays number about TWO million people - out of Thailand's 67 million people. That is just about 2% of the Thai population. In a democracy 2% of the population does not add up to anything for the political parties. Especially if that 2% is difficult to handle. So the 2 million Thai Malays in the south are just too far out of sight and out of mind from far away Bangkok. Plus Thailand also has other Muslim populations including native Thai speaking Muslims who have no problems at all living in Thailand.
2. RADICAL ISLAM: Unfortunately the Salafis have become embroiled in radicalising the Patani Malays. This has been going on for some time. And Salafi influence comes from outside Thailand. Lately the Salafis in the Middle East (the Arab variety) have taken a beating because Saudi Arabia - the mother lode of Salafism - has gone night clubbing and rock concerting (under Muhammad bin Salman). Salafism is quite dead in Saudi Arabia. Meaning the money supply and the radicalisation has suffered a major hit. But too late. Now there are other non-Arab Salafis in town who can keep the fires going.
There is also the Muslim Brotherhood. They are also trying to sink their claws into the grievances of Muslim groups in the region - and see what they can stir up. They are active in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Benua Asia Tenggalam. I will be surprised if they are not active in southern Thailand.
3. MONEY: There is plenty money in southern Thailand, especially along the Malaysian border. Recall our General Ops Force personnel who have been shot along the Thai border. This really means smuggling.
The following is the smuggling business from:
Malaysia → Thailand: diesel, petrol, cooking oil, sugar, wheat flour, LPG
Thailand → Malaysia: rice, fruits, vegetables, food products, clothing, kitchen goods, fireworks, cigarettes, drugs
This smuggling business needs people with guns and bombs. These are the same people you see shooting guns in the video above. So they are into multi-tasking.
Smuggling also means turf wars. Exactly like the Mafia. Who controls the smuggling routes. Who are the officials they have to bribe - on both sides of the border etc.
Sometimes things can go wrong. Money is lost, smuggled goods are lost etc. Someone tips off the authorities etc. People will then settle scores.
Its a bit complicated in southern Thailand but it can be solved - if done step by step.
