Southern Thailand Insurgency: 1Malaysia Perspective

Since the end of the World War II, Patani insurgents in South Thailand have been carrying out attacks for what is presumably independence in the 3 Thai provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala. But in 2005, the previously safe city of Hat Yai or Haadyai in the neighbouring Songkhla province was bombed. On March 31, 2012, a bomb went off in a Hat Yai hotel, at least 5 were killed including a Malaysian. But despite that Hat Yai remains a really popular Thai destination for many Malaysians and Singaporeans. This war is hitting closer to home.


The rebel groups are numerous, at least 5 major ones and unknown number of fractions. These guerrilla groups are driven by discrimination against ethnic-Malay Muslims by successive Thai governments. They presumably fight for either an independent state of their own or for autonomy.

In a previous article, I compiled a brief history of an ancient state called Patani. I would surmise that Thailand is still an empire – not yet a country. They continue to subjugate the racial minorities and legacy tributary kingdoms, dismantled them even and vehemently push for their assimilation.

The National Language: Thai

Only one official language is allowed and encouraged. The languages of other minorities especially the Malay are not supported by the state. There are no newspapers in any language other than Thai or English.

1 Malaysia Values

Malaysia’s route to nationalism is starkly different. It is one of integration. All languages are allowed, they are taught in schools, spoken on the streets, allowed to be published. For example there are over 10 Tamil dailies to serve a community that constitutes only 8% of the whole Malaysia. The national language is used predominantly in official government business. What happens is that many Malaysians are forced to be multilingual.

On the Flipside

There are definitely problems communicating if when community members don’t interact outside their own. Not everyone can speak the national language well. Also the government tries to control content in whatever language, as much as it can.

Cultural assimilation

The Thais impose a single culture on all citizens, central Chao Phraya Thai culture. They managed to assimilate the Chinese, Lao and Khmer but not the Malays in the Deep South. Everyone has to adopt a Thai name.

1 Malaysia Values

All communities get to keep their own culture no matter how small your community is. Malaysian values give rise to a dual identity of race and nationality. Citizens are usually identified as Malaysian Malay, Malaysian Chinese etc. Each community can relish and uphold individual cultures and practices without the oppression from the state.

On the Flipside

A clash of civilizations happens on a daily basis. Lots of understanding and tolerance needed to keep the peace. Moreover the Malays are very protective of their distinct Malay Muslim culture, minorities have to thread carefully around issues pertaining to Islam especially.

National Religion

Thailand is 95% Buddhist. Today Thailand is accepting of all religions but in the mid of last century, the Muslim minority were ill-treated mostly because of ignorance.

1 Malaysia Values

Everyone is allowed to practice their own religion but Islam is the national religion. Understanding each other’s religion fosters peace and harmony.

On the Flipside

Minority religions are subtly being oppressed while Muslims have no freedom of religion at all. Local Muslims’ viewpoint is insular and the government is over protective of the followers.

Education

Government policy uses education to promote the Thai language and Buddhism and the key role of Buddhist monks. Teachers are not local Malay and they instruct their students to identify themselves as Thai Muslims rather than Malay Muslims. The traditional Malay pondok schools are viewed with suspicion and are not well-funded by the central government.

1 Malaysia Values

In Malaysia, there are schools of every type, religious schools, Chinese schools, Tamil schools. With enough community backing, citizens are sure to get an education of their choosing in the language of their choosing.

On the Flipside

Missionary schools have been abolished and with it English medium schools. The quality of education at national schools is dropping behind. 

Malaysia does not have a region engulfed in conflict, so no comparisons can be drawn between Malaysia and Thailand. But now recent prime ministers including Yingluck Shinatwatra’s policy in the Thailand’s Deep South is to fight violence with violence and force. Taking a page out of China’s policy with Tibet, the Thai government had also tried migrating ethnic Thais into the Malay provinces, but since insurgents started killing monks and policemen and Thai people indiscriminately, this strategy has effectively been impeded. Past leaders have promised to bring greater economic development on the assumption that poverty is part of the problem although this has never come to fruition.

The Thais have got it all wrong. It’s not about development, and it’s definitely not counter insurgence that will quell the uprising. The Malays in Southern Thailand yearn for the sense of identity, that their history would not be supplanted with the Thai’s. I think they would like some cultural and language liberties that Malaysians unappreciatively enjoy. 

To the majority of Thais, there cannot be Thai Malays (like Malaysian Chinese). That is very thing that the majority of Thailand even the King cannot accept. They don’t mind the term Thai Muslim, but being Muslim and being Malay are two separate things. 

But how do you curb this raging insurgency, blind hate and careless measures? All piecemeal symbolic measures would be ineffective. It took a tsunami to end the rebellion in Acheh province, Indonesia. East Timor needed independence for their fighting to end. I reckon it has to be something big. In my mind, only two solutions exist, autonomy or independence, excluding the vagaries of Mother Nature of course. 

Autonomy opponents may cite Southern Philippines as an example of autonomy gone wrong. Although autonomy was granted since 1990, fighting still continues in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. How can it be different in Southern Thailand? For one, the local population must have its own political representation. Islam and the Malay language must be somehow interwoven into the regional government. Local leaders should have control over land, economy, natural resources and maybe even immigration. 

The alternative is of course independence. But it would be increasingly difficult for a relatively politically stable country like Thailand to give up a large portion of their land especially with the imperial mindset at play. (Indonesia was politically weak at the time of Timor Leste’s independence.)To complicate matters, there is oil off the coast of Patani. The chance of independence being granted for 2 million Malay people versus 70 million Thais in total is slim indeed.

The situation is seemingly dire in Malaysia’s neighboring region to the north. Malaysians are sympathetic towards the plight of the Thai Malays but at the same time are hapless, as the Malaysians cannot intervene. History is still unfolding in the restive southern Thailand. We can only hope for the best.

Olympic Opening Ceremonies: London vs Beijing

I know many of you may disagree, but I think that London’s 2012 Olympic opening ceremony is better than then Beijing’s 2008 opening ceremony. Both had the same idea in mind though, to showcase each nation’s accomplishments and contributions to the world. However, it’s notable that Britain stayed clear from reminding the world that it used to conquer half of it.


China’s opening ceremony was awe inspiring. You get the sense of grandeur amid a very oriental setting. Undoubtedly China exploited it’s most abundant resource; its people. At the heart of all its creative showcases were actually humans frolicking around in the enormous bird nest stadium. They actually employed soldiers to run their clock-like precision performances. It’s everything a communist nation can be proud of; synchronized, uniformed, innumerable.


Fast forward to London, each participant seems to be an actor. Even the children know how to perform. Their dancing may not be militarily synchronized in motion, but they were synchronized in seemingly genuine smiles and spirit. In fact they emphasized fun like one large flash mob.


China’s repertoire was written to impress, one dazzling display after another. And it did just that. They focused on the length and breadth of the Chinese civilization and the four great inventions of the ancient Chinese: paper, printing, the compass and gunpowder.


The British attempted to do the same, start off with history and showcase their contributions to the world. However since a major part of their history involves many storied wars of the British Empire which was a naval powerhouse and master colonialist, they risk offending almost everyone who is not British. Hence, their summation on British history seems disjointed and incomplete.


We are left with scenes from ancient English village with farm animals and maypoles, the industrial revolution which Britain initiated, socialized medicine, and more recent cultural exports. The English village and industrial revolution scenes were evocative with Hollywood quality costumes and every bit as impressive as Beijing.


From Harry’s Potter’s stadium tall Voldemort battling an army of Mary Poppins to a brief appearance of Mr. Bean, the English flaunted their greatest cultural exports. And did you know the creator of the World Wide Web is British? And at times they tried to do too much. I adore British music, but in one sequence, they sampled a line from each song from the 1950s to 1980s and played it in one long annoying grating medley. That is undoubtedly everyone’s least favourite sequence.


And saving the best surprise for last is the torch lighting ceremony, where in recent years everyone tried to one up the predecessor. When the countries were parading into the stadium, each was carrying a weird horn like sculpture. There wasn’t an obvious cauldron in sight, but in the center of the stadium, these horns were mysteriously installed onto some spiky contraption. After the torch bearer lit a few horns, the spikes began to mechanically rotate towards the sky forming a most unanticipated cauldron. Spectacular. (Sydney is best though)

The cauldron is made up of many small torches.

But negatives aside, the British version of the opening ceremony is unexpected, exciting and most importantly fun. The dancing was real, the spirit seemed authentic and London doesn’t care about taking itself too seriously (Beijing). And that’s why I think London is better than Beijing.