COMMON GROUND NEWS SERVICE: UNDERSTANDING, NOT TROOPS, NEEDED IN SOUTHERN THAILAND

Phaison Daoh, a writer for the Common Ground News Service, argues in this week’s issue of the news publication that although policies enacted by the Thai government to repress southern Malay Muslims were later lifted, one thing that seems unchanged over decades is “the government’s unwillingness to recognise the nature of the conflict as one involving deep-rooted social and cultural issues”, to quote Michael Vatikiotis, a Singapore-based scholar on Southeast Asia. While the government has made efforts to engage in constructive initiatives, the cultural insensitivity of many policies demonstrates this continued lack of understanding.  Instead, the government sees the conflict as a result of criminal activities by religious militants in the south and therefore relies mainly on the military to deal with the conflict. 

Question to the Blogosphere:  What do you think Thailand can do to mitigate relations between the Buddhist majority and large Muslim minority?  Do you think military operations are increasing tensions more than they are increasing security?  What is the balance between sovereignty and minority rights in Thailand?  How do you think Thailand should reform their assimilation and integration policies?