ADDRESSING ESCALATING CONFLICT IN THE DEEP SOUTH
Creating political space for dialogue and local solutions
Conflict in Thailand's southern border provinces has persisted for over a century, with recurring cycles of violence. The present phase of violence since 2004 further escalated in 2012, with an increase in shooting deaths, bomb attacks on civilian populations, and other acts of violence that have affected the security and well-being of Malay-Muslim and Thai-Buddhist communities of the Deep South. The Malay-Muslim majority population has long resented the failure of the Thai State to recognize its unique cultural identity, to grant it some limited form of autonomy, and to break the impunity with which security forces operate.
The Foundation's comprehensive southern conflict program addresses underlying issues that exacerbate the conflict, with a focus on strengthening the formal justice system and protecting human rights; promoting local cultural identity, history, and language; facilitating citizen voice in the peace process; and conducting empirical research to better understand the conflict and potential solutions. Last year, we contributed to an acknowledgement on the part of the government that local communities have a legitimate stake and role in the peace process, and launched a local grassroots network that successfully mobilized communities to articulate grievances and pursue local solutions to problems—including education policy, security, access to justice, and drug abuse among the youth population— through a "deliberative dialogue" process.
View a slideshow about peace efforts in Southern Thailand.
On March 28, 2011, The Asia Foundation in Thailand released findings from its second national public perception survey of 1,500 Thai citizens. One of the most comprehensive public perception surveys since the tumultuous political events of April-May 2010, the report explores the depth of color divisions in contemporary Thailand. Read the press release here in English and Thai; FAQS in English and Thai; and related In Asia blog posts, here.
On December 15, 2010, The Asia Foundation in Thailand released findings from its first-ever, in-person public perception survey in Thailand's three southern border provinces of Yala, Narathiwas, and Pattani. Download the survey here. Read the press release; FAQ; and related In Asia blog posts, here.