Southern thai conflict : importance of political response towards a cultural conflict
Introduction : Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat; the three provinces of southern thailand have been in the grip of spiraling violence. The separatist violence in these Malay-Muslim provinces is not new. It has a history that goes back nearly half a century. However, a higher tempo is noticeable in recent years. According to Peter Chalk of National Defense Research Institute of USA, 'and international attention during the past several years due to the heightened tempo' (Chalk, 2008:13). The low proflie conflict has taken a high toll. Niharika Mandhana described that 'drive-by shootings, attacks by improvised explosive devices, vicious assaults on teachers and targeting of monks and moderate Muslims are regularoccurrences. Five thousand people have been killed since 2004, and once harmonious relations between the region's Buddhists and Muslims have degenerated into hostile mistrust' (Mandhana,2012)