Armed Conflict and Resolutions in Southern Thailand

Since January 2004, southern Thailand has grabbed news headlines as a violent conflict zone, where the insurgency movement has taken the lives of more than 3,500 people. Stemming from various factors ranging from historical resistance to the Thai government to human rights abuses and socioeconomic marginalization, the shadowy movement has managed to infiltrate and gain sympathy among local communities; however, the majority of the local population remains resistant and resentful toward the perpetrators. This article aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the upsurge and dynamics of the violence in southern Thailand in a two-part process. First, through focusing on the evidence obtained during my three-year stay in the Pattani province, I demonstrate how geopolitical dimensions intensified the separatist sentiments in the region. In the second section, I propose a proactive and preemptive set of resolutions as a roadmap to avoid further conflict and bloodshed.