History of Thai state repression in the South[16]
The nation state of “Thailand” was created by Bangkok’s colonisation of the north, north-east and south. However, what was special about the South was that the Patani ruling class was never co-opted or assimilated into the Thai ruling elite and the Muslim Malay population have never been respected or seen as fellow citizens since then. Bangkok and London destroyed and divided up the Patani Sultanate between them and Bangkok has ruled the area like a colony ever since.
1890s King Chulalongkorn (Rama 5) seized half of the Patani Sultanate. The Sultanate was divided between London and Bangkok under the Treaty of 1909.
1921 Enforced “Siamification” via primary education. Locals forced to pay tax to Bangkok.
1923 Belukar Semak rebellion forced King Rama 6 to make concessions to local culture.
1938 More enforced “Siamification” under the ultra-nationalist dictator Field Marshall Pibun.
1946 Pridi Panomyong promoted local culture and in 1947 accepted demands by Muslim religious leaders for a form of autonomy, but he was soon driven from power by a coup led by Thai nationalist military leaders.
Haji Sulong proposed an autonomous state for Patani within Siam.
1948 Haji Sulong arrested.
April 1948 police massacre innocent villagers at Dusun Nyior, Naratiwat.
1954 Haji Sulong killed by police under orders from police strongman Pao Siyanond.
1960-1970 Thai state policy of “diluting” the Malay population by resettling Thai-Lao Buddhists from the north east of Thailand in the Patani area. This was carried out under various military regimes, starting with Field Marshall Sarit Tanarat. Ban on the use of the Yawee Malay language in state institutions including schools.