Up-Date on Situation in the South of Thailand

October 29, 2004

Below is some follow-up information about the situation in Thailand following the death of 84 Thai citizens at the hands of their own security forces earlier this week.

A local Thai newspaper called Komchadluek conducted a poll of its readers asking if the deaths of the 84 Muslims was an overreaction by the government or an acceptable reaction. The results were:

1. Overreaction: 69.23% (5,171 respondents)
2. Acceptable reaction: 29.23% (2,183 respondents)
3. No opinion: 1.54% (115 respondents)

A Thai friend was in the southern province of Pattani during the tragedy. He was meeting with religious leaders from the three southern provinces discussing some of the joint peacemaking projects they are working on together. He shared the following reflection with me this morning.

I am afraid that what really happened is much worse than the worse accounts being reported. When you see a group of humans as worthless objects this is what happens. Hope is wearing thin. My own feeling now is that all the efforts of those outside the region, whether it be writing articles, organizing seminars, talking to political and military leaders, will have no effect if such activities are considered to be the main efforts of most importance. To deal with the violence the main efforts must be, and seen to be, a peace movement by those in the 3 provinces living in the middle of the violence and injustices themselves. The efforts by those outside (like us) must be to give support to such movements. As such a movement grows in number, then the state will listen and take notice. I am now trying to talk with various groups who live down South to see how I can help in the organization.

I have requested this friend to advise me on how our regional interfaith network of justpeace workers can support such a movement. I will notify you when he makes some suggestions and I hope that we can mobilize a regional movement to support the local movements for Justpeace.

A Reuters report from the area says that nearly 1,300 people were arrested. Many of those arrested were stacked in army trucks like five layers of human bricks for the five hour drive to the army detention center. They were not allowed to get up despite their pleas for help. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra admitted that the army made mistakes leading to the suffocation of the young men but described the action of security forces as "gentle measures".

Many Thais were horrified by the events that unfolded early this week in the southern part of Thailand when Muslims and Thai security forces clashed. About 84 people were killed, more than 70 of them from suffocation after been crammed into army trucks for a three-hour drive to a military detention camp. Activities around the country to protest this horror and to call for peace are rapidly forming. Below are a few.

1. People who stand for justice and peace are being called to gather in front of the parliament building every Friday evening to hold a vigil. The leaflet calling for the vigil states in part, "We do not have representatives who speak for us so we have to raise our voices ourselves. We can not stand by and let the state use power to destroy other people in our name. How can we stay silently in a violent society? Please come to the parliament yourselves to help stop the violence."

The leaflet further urges people to bring:

1. A candle to help bring light to the Thai society which now lives in darkness and also to be a light of wisdom.
2. A piece of paper for writing a message to hang on the gates of the parliament.
3. A piece of black cloth for expressing sorrow over the deaths of the people on the 25th of this month.

2. Famous folk musician Nga Caravan and other friends have formed a group called "Flowers and Paper Birds for Peace." The aim of the group is to bring happiness and peace to the people in the south of Thailand. Their website states that they want to call "Sixty million hearts to weave a relationship with the brothers and sisters in the South by using flowers and paper birds." They will travel around the country urging people to become involved in efforts to bring peace to the troubled area of southern Thailand.

Max Ediger