On March 2-3, 2015, I went to southern Thailand for psychological support. The deep southern region (Deep South) includes Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and areas in Songkhla which are placed near the Malaysia border.
At the request of a local human rights organization Duayjai (Hearty Support) Group, I met torture survivors and their families. Duayjai Group supported survivors of imprisonment and torture for political reasons in the Deep South of Thailand local people, especially Muslims and their families. 'Hearty Support' sounds similar to the name of my organization, ‘Human Heart’, maybe we share the idea that human relationship and support is crucial in healing.
This gathering was to give and receive support each other, and to regain their strength back. It was also the groundwork for the establishment of a trauma center specializing in torture survivors in the Deep South.
One participant, he was a survivor of torture, asked me to tell the story of the Deep South to my friends in South Korea. I write to keep that promise.
In southern Thailand 75-80 percent of the populations are Muslim and Malay, and they share the Pattani - Malay's identity. The conflict between them and the Thailand's government had continued over a century. Since 1980, the government of Thailand adopted a conciliatory policy which seemed to help maintain a peaceful period. However, after the 9.11 incident, suspicion about the Muslims and the unfair treatment to them became a tinderbox.
To make matters worse, in 2003, the Government of Thailand launched the ' war on drugs ' in which thousands of people were slaughtered, and it was known that many Muslim young men were killed. Since then, violence occurred explosively between the Muslim separatists of the Pattani-Malay identity and the Thai government.
Does Thailand remind you of Buddhism and Bangkok? There are also Muslims and Pattani-Malay people living in Thailand. The southern Pattani - Malay people feel that their identity is not accepted, and they also feel the discrimination in economic development policies.
Still in some areas, it is said that the bombings and the shootings take place daily. There were 14 128 cases of violence in 2004-2014, casualties rising up to 17,005 people. It is known that the separatists are targeting the Thai government, their officials, and the Buddhists. However, more than half of the casualties include the Muslims, mostly civilians.
According to the words of the Duayjai Group, State violence against the Muslim civilians is also a big problem. Muslim civilians were arrested and tortured, convicted on violence or bomb possession, but later being acquitted. That is why it is difficult for the Muslim survivors to trust the mental health professionals attached to the Thai government. In addition, survivors feel that mental health professionals deny the conflict in the Deep South and the sufferings of the Muslims.
That is why ‘Human Heart’ far away from South Korea went to the Deep South.
Southern Songkhla area was relatively silent, but I could see the policeman carrying M16, wearing uniforms looking like the army. There were police checkpoints upon entering into the area. Duayjai Group activist says that the checking occurs very often. They were worrying that these actions by the police might worsen the conflict.
The Muslim separatists suffer from torture in captivity, and unfortunately this is considered as reasonable. Moreover, according to the Duayjai Group, Muslim civilians are repressed to make a false confession under torture. Innocent Muslims were accused of the bombings and the shooting incidents. They were acquitted and released, but still suffers from the aftermath of torture, imprisonment, and the exclusion and distrust they receive among neighbors. In addition, torture survivors were living in the threat of death or murder afterwards.
Physical and psychological impacts of torture and violence seemed apparent. In fact, fear of being killed seemed very actual and realistic in the conflict situation. Life threatening fear in this case should be regarded as a realistic experience, than as a mental symptom. The families were also under the impact of the sufferings. Household economic difficulties also arose as a problem. In particular, the Duayjai Group says, that the Muslim children raised in these environments may grow up to be the separatist member who agrees to violent movements. That is also a reason why supporting the Muslim torture victim is an important way to reconstruct peace.
I felt it important, and agreed to the Duayjai Group, to support recovery for the restoration of peace, to keep the value of recovery and peace even among conflict situations, and to seek for reconciliation by not de-humanizing each other.
During the psychological group sessions, we first talked about trust and distrust with carefulness and unfamiliarity. And we understood that our mistrust was caused by torture, and agreed that it is important to build up trust gradually. That is when the participants started to share their difficulties that arose after torture.
Mistrust and isolation was in fact the goal of torture, so it may be unavoidable. Reunion is where we can start rebuilding safety and trust.
The participants were treated and discarded as ‘the worthless’ after torture. In this reunion, every talk was listened to, and every little movements and emotions were respected. They felt it amazing. We noticed that this atmosphere of acceptance helped them regain strength. They said that the reunion made them feel ‘valuable and important again’.
I also felt my heart deeply touched, by the feeling of consideration, caring, and respect shared among human beings. In fact these feelings were shared even faster than words waiting for translation.
Before closure, one participant concluded that the reunion had put a ‘word’ to the 'wordless'. Naming the atrocity, and make it known, shall be the first step of recovery. I asked him what the word was that he found. He replied, 'relationship'. He said that the ‘relationship’ made him an important person from a worthless person. I again realized the strength of relations in healing. The relations of being with each other, listening to each other's stories, and being the witness to one another, the witness acknowledging the courage and fear they all had experienced.
After the group session, I discussed with the Duayjai Group about the current needs and the future tasks for the recovery of the Deep South. Increasing awareness and capacity of the Thailand's mental health professionals to support torture survivors seemed to be an urgent task.
Also, not being on one side, whether on the government’s or on the separatist’s, but being on the side of recovery is important to terminate violence and support full recovery. We shall stand on the side of human rights, life respect, and peace, if ‘neutral’ is what it means.
The most crucial part in psychological support of the Deep South is, that no response of a survivor should be regarded as pathological when they are still facing violence and life threatening situations. Fear and despair seems very expected where violence exists. What would be the meaning of prescribing anxiolytics or diagnosing mental disorders to them? If it involves denying the conditions of the conflict, this may be the most frustrating thing. Paying attention to their courage and dignity while accepting the fear, and to rebuild the community seeking reconciliation and peace should be the most important next step.
I hope Traumahealingcenter HumanHeart in Seoul can continue supporting the Deep South, and I truly wish ‘relationship’ and courage to the survivors