Insightful Article on Thailand Today

[Guest]

On no schedule that I have been able to discern, The Nation publishes articles by one "Chang Noi". Those articles often contain some of the most insightful material I have seen on what is currently happening in Thailand:

 

Knowing and yet not knowing the South

 

Published on November 08, 2004

 

When Deputy Supreme Commander Sirichai Thanyasiri took over the Southern Border Province Peace-Building Command one month ago, he said: ?I admit that I don?t know who the enemy are, but I will try my best to get them.? His ignorance must now have disappeared. Arrayed against him is virtually the entire Muslim population of the deep South and large numbers in Islamic communities across the world.

 

Knowing what is really going on in the deep South has been a major problem all along. Soon after the weapons theft on January 4, Thaksin complained that he received conflicting intelligence from the different agencies involved. Later he said he had to develop his own sources and make up his own mind. Police and military have fought ?information wars? in the public media. Key intelligence posts have been rejigged several times.

 

But the value of information lies in the way it is interpreted. Thaksin?s view has been filtered through his own preconceptions. He seems to have a narrow view of man as an animal interested only in wealth and power, and he has difficulty understanding someone whose worldview differs from his own, be it a Pak Mool fisherman who values a river for itself or a Pattani Muslim who values his religious beliefs and cultural heritage.

 

On brief occasions over the past year, he has opened up to the idea that the southern problem has cultural, religious, historical and social aspects. But increasingly he clings to the view that only two things matter: first there are economic problems resulting from a long-standing lack of development funds; second, a small group of conspirators takes advantage of these economic problems because of their ?bad intentions? (which he constantly cites without ever explaining what he means). The first problem must be solved with money, the second through force.

 

Early this year, he was at least prepared to listen to proposals for political approaches to the problems. But gradually his options have become narrower. He allowed the military to scrunch Chaturon?s plan. He dismissed Chavalit?s suggestion for using existing administrative options in a creative way to allow more local self-government. He recently responded to Mahathir?s suggestion for greater autonomy by totally misrepresenting it as in breach of the Thai Constitution. These alternative ideas may or may not have value, but the absolute refusal to allow them any space means there is only one way forward, a military solution, the use of violence.

 

As a result of this perception, Thaksin is no longer master of the military but its captive instead.

 

The incidents at Krue Se Mosque and Tak Bai share a tragic pattern. In both cases there are clear traces that some people were trying to manufacture a case of martyrdom. In both cases, the military performed its role in the tragedy exactly according to the script. It went ahead and created lots of martyrs. Whoever was writing this script knew that it would work, because they knew the Thai military. It has been the military leaders who have consistently stamped on plans for political solutions, conciliation or mediation. In an arena of violence, they are the experts and hence are in charge. By campaigning so successfully for a military solution, they have gained the initiative. By failing to champion any political solution, Thaksin has forfeited any role for political leadership. Hence he is now in the military?s grip.

 

Knowing what is happening is important. Making sure that the masses do not know what is happening is important too.

 

The reaction of people to the Tak Bai incident depends a lot on what people know about it. Within Thailand, beyond the readers of a handful of newspapers, people have seen a version that the government wants them to see. Outside the country, and among the few with access to international media, the experience has been very different. Especially on BBC Television, they saw shooting, beating, kicking and the transport of people as animals in graphic detail. Then when viewers heard Thaksin describe the authorities? treatment as soft and claim the deaths had resulted from an error of judgement for which nobody was responsible, the only possible reaction was confusion and disbelief.

 

And this has shaped actions. Foreign investors have responded by voting with their portfolios, withdrawing Bt6 billion in a week. Ordinary Muslims in neighbouring countries are appalled. Mahathir?s suggestion may irritate Thai nationalists, but it reflects feelings of humanity that (like the television images) are not restricted by national boundaries.

 

One major reason why such incidents occur is that the government believes it can control knowledge of them. If everybody had seen the BBC images of Tak Bai (and the footage of the October 1976 killings, the May 1992 killings, the Hat Yai beatings etc etc), reactions would have been different.

 

As long as Thailand?s media are controlled (largely by the military), such incidents will recur. The demand for removal of electronic material from state control swelled after the military shot protesters on Bangkok streets in May 1992 but was then delayed, derailed and finally sabotaged. Getting media reform back on the agenda is necessary to stop this gloomy sequence.

 

Keeping people in the dark further ensures that a military approach to the southern problem faces no serious challenge, no serious alternative. Thaksin has now called on the people of the South to forget the past and unite. But unite around what?

 

The stress on a military solution over recent months has accelerated polarisation and destroyed any middle ground.

 

Ever since the deep South was captured by Bangkok armies around two centuries ago, the area has risen in revolt roughly once every 20 years. Unless someone tries to understand why that is, then there is no chance of breaking the sequence. The only major difference in this repetition is that the escalation could go much further.

 

That bit of knowledge ought to concentrate the mind.

 

Chang Noi

 

The Nation

[pattaya127]

Thanks, Gadfly. I notice the use of the word "enemy" by the thai supreme (!?!?) commander, a clear sign that the military brass is monkeying US rethoric or following dutifully the US stance regarding terrorism(therefore, in both cases, not paying attention to the specific thai elements in the southern unrest) .

[rickfarang]

A well written article with food for thought. It also offers a thread of hope for a longer term solution, though sadly, it is doubtful that the appropriate hand will grasp that thread anytime soon.

[chuckwoww]

It's a good article but maybe it's not fair to put all the blame on Thaksin. He's simply following the same policy as Sharon and Bush. Hell with dialogue...just eradicate the fanatics, terrorists, insurgents...whatever they are currently calling anybody who doesn't cooperate. There is no outcry from the general public which obviously gives a green light for an extreme reaction.

[Pharcyde]

Interesting reading. Thanks for putting it here.

Agree with Chuckwoww, it seems to be the time of harliner policies, many places in the world.

 

Even people mostly concerned about monies can see that such policy can have unfortunate consequenses for international business and investment. Maybe a language some can understand.