Southern Thailand: Southeast Asia’s forgotten insurgency

In a new Lowy Institute Analysis Duncan McCargo examines the effort to find a negotiated solution to the conflict in Southern Thailand.
 
Since 2004, separatist violence in the predominantly Muslim provinces of the south has claimed over 6000 lives. Malaysian government backed peace talks, which were officially endorsed by the Thai government in 2013, have now run aground. Serious questions have been raised about the neutrality of the Malaysian backed facilitators, the credibility of the participants in the talks, and the lack of high-level Thai political support for the initiative.
 
Despite these shortcomings, McCargo argues that all parties need to persist with the process.
 
“Despite its various shortcomings, the Malaysian government backed peace initiative is still worthy of support”, said author, Duncan McCargo.
 
Southern Thailand: From Conflict to Negotiations? identifies what needs to happen to revitalise the peace process. McCargo argues that all sides will need to show greater commitment to a settlement, including by introducing new structures and procedures that are more conducive to serious negotiations.
 
“Often ignored and unremarked upon by the international community, there is more at stake in this conflict than just stability in the south. With the resurgence of ethno-regionalist tensions in other parts of Thailand, the southern conflict should not be allowed to become a model for a larger nationwide civil conflict”, he concludes.
 
Southern Thailand: From Conflict to Negotiations? can be downloaded from the Lowy Institute website.
 
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Please note author Duncan McCargo is in Sydney and available for media interviews. See contact details below.
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Media inquiries:
Duncan McCargo (Author) – Sydney +61 478 656 669 (mobile)/ D.J.McCargo@leeds.ac.uk
 
Nirupam Gupta (Lowy Institute) - Sydney +61 423 613 396 (mobile)/ +61 2 8238 9119 (work)/ngupta@lowyinstitute.org