Southern Policy: Old Tea in Broken Cup

The overthrown of Thaksin government and his parties by the Junta coup on September 19, 2006  paved the way for the royalist, Democrat party two years later, taken over the political power of the country on  December 17, 2008. The switching of government from Thaksinist to the Junta and to Royalist Party also brought some change to the conflict solution policy inThailand south as follow:-

1.Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center(SBPAC)

Technical renovation of  the revived Southern border provinces administrative center(SBPAC or Soa or boa toa) to be the most effective tool for solving the southern conflict. The democrat Mps tried hard to locate SBPAC as a juristic person working independently under the direct  supervision of  Prime Minister.

2. Signaling and persuading 

The misleading Patani insurgents are given an opportunity to  surrender  and  join the development project of Thai  government or Patna Chat Thai in order to become a good people living peacefully in Thai society, the personal security after surrender guarantee by the government. This policy was initiated by General Chauvalit in the period of General Prem’s  government  in the 1980s primarily, to end the armed fighting with the communist party of Thailand, this policy was called 66 /23.

3. Political oriented     

After 7 years of unsuccessful “military combat” policy in the Patani (southern) conflict, the Democrat believed that peaceful approach to the conflict is an alternative. The  Taboo’s word of “autonomy”  echoes in  Thai society  with difference meaning and words like “special administrative area”, “Patani Metropolitan”,  “self rule”, “special development area” but the most popular word with quiet difference meaning and objective is the “decentralize power” to the locality according to the constitution of the country, the most important element  of this word is   an election of  governors by the people in the area same as Bangkok and Muang Pattaya.

4. No talk or Dialogue  

There will be no talk and peace dialogue with the Patani insurgents and separatists on the basis of Thai constitutional obligation  that is,  they are an out law groups which Thai law never encourage to do so and at the same time the majority of the Patani people in the conflict area want to live and live happily with  Thailand government.

5.Economic Development 
 Allocation of  fund to each village in Patani to carry the  projects of their own in response to their needs, targeted to increase an income for poor families from 64,000 baht to 120,000baht a year.  

6. Promote the Islamic Education   

Center for Islamic Studies   in Patani must stay independence and  Islamic studies should  play an important role in strengthening the basis of harmony and understanding  among  people in the Thai nation.

7. Reduce security forces  

In order to avoid the  misunderstanding between people of different culture (with the security forces), reduction of  security forces sent from outside of Patani or the deep South is necessary and local security forces will be fully encourage in order to take part in providing public safety in their respective areas.

8. Promote cultural diversity and human right protection

People in the conflict area will be given protection from human right violation and given promotion for  public  participation as much  possible to reduce the gap of cultural misunderstanding. The corrupt  government officers will be transferred  out of the area, the good officer will be brought in and many more good policies.

The Democrat party which favor and guide by the former Thai general and Thai Prime minister not given and shown any hint of support and promote local “Patani Malay” language (one of the most importance causes of conflict)which widely use as  a first communication language  of  Patani people in the conflict area. The Patani Malay language is written in Arabic script, widely known as Jawi script but The Thai misled by misunderstanding and call the Patani Malay language as Jawi Language, later in trying to vanish the Patani Malay language out of  surface of the earth, the Thai script of Patani Malay language was written as a text book( Malay Language in Malaysia and Indonesia were Romanized)  for  Patani kids to study in Thai school with general education curriculum but the books were highly criticized by the Patani public and not popular with Patani people. The Jawi script as a written Patani Malay language is used widely by Islamic private institution for the Islamic studies curriculum up to this day.

The retrement of army chief, General Anupong Paujinda on September 19, 2010 paved the way for General Prayuth Chan-o cha to become a new Thailand army chief  in the smoke of   political conflict between the Royalist and the Thaksinist, the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia on border issue, world economic turmoil and the 7 years  unsettled conflict  between  Thailand government and Muslim Malay of Patani in the southern  border provinces. At the end of  May 2011,General Prayuth Chan-ocha had made an apology to the Muslim Malay of Patani in the south regarding the two tragedies in 2004 at Kruse mosque and Tak Bai,   killed more than hundreds of people, many injured, many become disabled persons and many of them were thrown into prisons on the accusation of having  connection with the insurgents or being the insurgent  themselves later were released and the government paid the compensation to some of them. It was the second apology from the Thai generals after the tragedies happened despite the disagree  and  angry of Thai society, accuse of having sympathy with Patani people and the insurgency in the south.

The apology made by General Prayuth Chan-ocha, new Thailand army chief is shown as a sign of reconciliation toward Patani society and possibly, peaceful approach to the ever lasting centuries long conflict between the Thai government and the Patani people, it is only a sign to peaceful approach which General Sorayuth Chulanon, former Thai Prime Minister had done in the past after which he was retired, his policy also finished with his time, thus to show that peace is really  need and really necessary;   human, sincerity, straight forward, willingness, free speech for the grievances, equality and right are practice by every Thai government otherwise it become the  old  tea in a broken cup that no one want to touch and drink forever.