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Wie war das nochmal ?ANALYSIS: Iron-fisted response may worsen the crisis
Published on Jan 6, 2004 >> The Nation
Thaksin govt's lack of sensitivity has alienated locals, who now fear more violent suppression
The simultaneous arson attacks and armoury raids in Narathiwat on Sunday and yesterday's bomb attacks in Pattani have raised the spectre of increased violence between the authorities and Muslim insurgents in the coming months. And this is likely to further alienate communities in the South.
The situation reveals the lack of sensitivity towards the region's culture by the government, which has placed emphasis on financial growth.
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinwatra said yesterday the scale of the attacks and burning of 20 schools showed that professionals were involved. His admission must be hailed because it finally allows authorities to speak out about the reality as it is.
In the past three years, more than 50 officials have been killed in armed clashes in the South. These clashes were at the time labelled as acts by organised criminal gangs who wanted to rob weapons to sell overseas.
To the people living in the South, the attacks were as much an act of defiance to Bangkok's growing control as a symbol of the newfound confidence among insurgents.
After years of denial, the government has finally admitted that the assailants were not bandits or arms robbers, as it tried to have us believe.
So, the next question is, who were they and where did they receive training to conduct such large, simultaneous operations with military precision?
Deputy Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh said some Muslim insurgent elements had infiltrated the Army and received military training from local officials.
He said that with assistance of these infiltrators, the insurgents were able to pinpoint weaknesses at Narathiwat Rajanakarin Camp and then raid and steal the weapons.
If that is the case, Thailand's security situation is in serious jeopardy because these elements are sure to have spread out to other army camps.
With Thai troops in Iraq, Thai military bases have become targets for terrorist attacks.
The imposition of martial law in Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala, which immediately puts them under the control of the Fourth Army Region, could add more fuel to the fire, especially when a curfew is expected to be announced today.
Telephone interviews with a number of Thai-Muslims in the region showed a high level of anxiety and mistrust. They believe there will be abuse of power by the Army.
A major concern is the potential disruption to their routines, such as gatherings for religious studies, most of which take place at pondoks, or Islamic boarding schools.
Classes often take place in the evening, sometimes continuing late into the night. Both teachers and students need to travel to attend these classes at night.
Other affected groups include those who work in the rubber plantations and fishermen because of their odd working hours. They fear that martial law will see a return to the vicious suppression that was the hallmark of the 1960's in the region.
The lack of sensitivity towards the Muslim culture and its habits and beliefs is highly visible in the government's growth oriented policies.
The chairmen of the Islamic Provincial Council, which covers five provinces, agreed over the weekend not to accept lottery funding from the government because they viewed it as an affront to their cultural beliefs.
One resident expressed disgust towards the government's economic plans, which stress financial growth at the expense of spiritual and ethical issues.
When Thaksin came to power, he set about dismantling the intelligence and suppression operations against the separatists and insurgents in the South and instead relied on the police almost exclusively.
Displeased with the results and keen to put on a good show for the Apec summit, he re-mobilised the intelligence apparatus. Yesterday, he lashed out at Interior Minister Wan Muhamad Noor Matha and Army chief General Chaiyasith Shinawatra over the perceived failure of intelligence concerning the latest incidents.
Previous governments had spent the past four decades building up a sense of belonging for the Thai Muslim community.
With the attacks in Narathiwat still fresh, analysts believe that any knee-jerk measure and half-baked policy that is insensitive or is deemed condescending by Muslims will be met with resistance on a scale never before seen. They believe that the common people on the street would be cowed by the use of iron-fisted measures. But for the insurgents any such measures would represent a new opportunity to translate their struggle into a jihad or holy war.
Kavi Chongkittavorn
THE NATION
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