Will Thailand’s deep south ever see lasting peace?
Since January 2004, Thailand’s deep south has seen ongoing conflict between Thai military forces and separatist groups seeking greater autonomy.The violence is largely confined to the country’s three southernmost provinces, Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala – home to a Muslim Malay majority in the predominantly Buddhist nation.The region, located along the Thai-Malaysia border, has seen over 23,000 violent incidents, leading to more than 7,000 deaths, according to Deep South Watch, a local think tank.The Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), the dominant separatist group, has been implicated in attacks targeting civilians, including Buddhist…