ANALYSIS
Dream of making South autonomous
By Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation
Published on November 5, 2009

Chavalit's proposal cannot be delivered because it's coming from the wrong side

When former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh proposed a form of autonomy for the deep South he was offering a compromise between history and the modern times so the predominantly Malay-Muslim region could continue living peacefully in Thailand. However, this dream will never be delivered.
Violence in the deep South did not just begin in 2004, but was ignited a long time ago. Pattani in modern history has been struggling against Bangkok since it was annexed more than a century ago.

Basically, the fight for self-determination has many shades. Some in the struggle want independence, while some want autonomy within the Kingdom. It is obvious that they are not fighting for development projects.
It was not just Chavalit, but many other people including leaders from neighbouring Malaysia, who have proposed some form of autonomy for people in the deep South.

Former Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad proposed this a few years ago and the current Prime Minister Najib Razak suggested just two weeks ago that Thailand offer a form of autonomy to the restive South.

Chavalit said the southernmost provinces - where a vast majority of the population is different from the rest of the country - should have an administration unique to the region.
In fact, he went down South on Tuesday to sell his idea to local leaders. Unfortunately the reaction from various factions, notably the government, appeared to be negative.

Apparently it is not the right time for him to float such ideas, especially since the country is dominated by conservative figures. Even though this might be the only option available to resolve the conflict, the ruling Democrat Party would never listen to Chavalit because he is now standing on the wrong side of the tracks.
It is politically incorrect for any government to accept an idea put forward by the opposition after all. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban and many others who appear to be concerned about the South came to the same conclusion - that Chavalit's idea is nonsensical and deserves no further discussion.

The government's spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn, who is an expert on security affairs, went even further by saying that Chavalit had just borrowed the idea from a separatist group championing for the return of the Sultanate of Patani.
People in power see Chavalit's proposal as a decoy to gain support in the deep South for his Pheu Thai Party. According to Suthep, Chavalit proposed this idea when he was deputy PM during Thaksin Shinawatra's time, but failed to deliver.

Suthep could be right. Whether or not one has ruling power, nobody can deliver any sort of autonomy for the people in the deep South. It is taboo. The elite who run this country would never allow it partly because they are afraid of losing this part of Thailand. Any discussion of autonomy, even among the academics, is rare in Thai society these days.
Even smart and well-educated people like Abhisit would not dare to define or spell out the term "autonomy" in the Thai context. The term itself is problematic and very difficult to distinguish between special administration and self-rule, he said. The premier tried to mix the idea up with "de-centralisation", claiming that his government was working to offer some kind of power to the local people.

Like the rest of the country, the three southernmost provinces - Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat - have the same form of local administration. There's the Tambon Administration Organisation, Provincial Administration Organisation and the municipality - all forms of de-centralisation - but it means nothing to the people.
In fact, the Democrat Party's Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC), a super agency in the deep South, cannot be called a de-centralised form of administration. Actually, the SBPAC is a simple executive branch under the prime minister. The latest proposal about SBPAC - waiting to be read in Parliament - is to transform it from a bureaucratic unit at the Interior Ministry into one in the Prime Minister's Office. It would have its own budget and the SBPAC secretary general would be on the same level as a ministry's permanent secretary, with local people being invited to sit in as consultants. However, it all depends on Bangkok.

Though this might solve the problem of having overlapping agencies in the bureaucracy, it is not necessarily a political solution to end conflicts in the region.


-- The Nation 2009/11/05

When will people understand that economic autonomy is a lot more important than political autonomy? And Economic autonomy can be easily achieved without any force, fighting, army or help of the government

Short of kicking all the muslims out of the entire country, which i wouldn't endorse, the only solution is some form of autonomy. Take a look at northern Ireland for how peace can come to a place where seemingly irreconsilable positions are held. Call it decentralisation if it makes the thai face feel better but why not give the 3 provinces their own government and budget but still be under the thai national laws. While thier at it may as well set up the same for lanna, eesan and central regions too, could help quell some of these pollitical problems of feeling under reprasented/ under recsourced. Shame that "not even thai accademics" talk about such possabillities.

You quoted that entire article, as the first response post, and only post one sentance? Like we cant scroll up one mouse wheel turn to read it? Come on, follow the forum rules here, at least a little bit.

The only problem is that if you look at the history, it's not an issue of being controlled by a 'foreign' government, but rather a non-Muslim government. And if you look at the slippery slope that you go down accomodating Muslims in obtaining a Sharia State (think the tribal area in Pakistan amongst other places) why would the Thais have more success?

I suppose I should not pursue this further, I mean an article from 2008 in the Nation. How can I argue with such wisdom?
There is a concept called Right and Wrong. Because someone commits a stupid act, does not justify another person from repeating the same stupid act. Anyway, I give up. Might as well go for a run with the legless guy downstairs.

Unless I'm mistaken, the problem in NI is that the north wants to stay with the UK while the south wants both north and south to rejoin together and be independant of the UK, nothing has changed, the same people still want the same things to happen, all the UK goverment did was bribe the terrorist groups to stop killing people by releasing all the terrorists that were in jail.

The south of Thailand seems to be in a similiar situation, different religion, different values and happy to use violence to try and achieve their aim, what's the answer, I don't know but I do know that if you give in to terrorists just once then you've lost the war.

Brigante7.

Off-topic posts discussing an irreverent nickname used for former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh have been deleted. Please refer to people with their correct names.
--
Maestro

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Double standard. Will any post addressing current PM as Mark be deleted too?
It is a fact that MORE people know Chavalit nickname than Abisit nickname.



Back to the subject.
Can the Thai government charge Chavalit for Treason?

Poll Says Most People Don't Agree with General Chavalit

UPDATE : 6 November 2009

A poll by Suan Dusit suggests that more than 72 per cent of people polled do not agreee with the Pattani City idea that was sparked by comments from former Prime Minister General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh. More than 17 per cent agree with the idea while more than 10 per cent are undecided.

http://www.thailandoutlook.tv/tan/ViewData...?DataID=1020713

Pulo have rejected the suggestion from Chavalit saying they will meet with representatives of the government but will not get drawn into games between opposition and government.

They seem politcally astute.

Story at: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingne...government-PULO

The trouble makers as well as all the other mooslums can slip over the border into Malaysia any time they want so they should do it and not come back.