The unrest in the three southern border provinces, namely Narathiwat, Pattani, and Yala, has become a matter of concern, affecting the morale of local people. In fact, a network of militants was created in 1993, when a number of schools were set on fire. The situation worsened in early 2004, when a group of militants launched raids on government offices, attempting to attack authorities, seize government firearms, and instigate instability.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said that the southern region had often been neglected in the past, in the course of the country?s development. The Government sought to change the net contribution of the three southernmost provinces to the country?s GDP in such a way that would be commensurate with the proportion of their potential richness. It could only do so if it resolved the disparities of education, skills, and economic opportunities that they face in comparison with the rest of the country. This must be accomplished within the framework of diverse beliefs, co-existing in harmony and justice.

He said that the Government had tried to address the question of security concurrently on two different levels - economic and social. Among other things, the Prime Minister revealed that his administration was the first government to set up an Islamic Bank to tend to the needs of Muslim Thais. It has established new Islamic universities and institutions of education in cooperation with leading academic institutions, such as Cairo University.

The Government has allocated special funds for needy Muslim Thais, so that they would be able to make the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lives. It has also injected over 12 billion baht into southern development projects over the past few years in order to raise the standard of living of Thai citizens.

The joint sitting of the House of Representatives and the Senate on 30 and 31 March 2005 to debate problems in the three southernmost provinces brought about constructive results. Prime Minister Thaksin, in his weekly radio address on 2 April 2005, expressed his satisfaction with the debate, which was in line with Section 213 of the present Constitution, which states that the Prime Minister may request that a general debate be held at the joint sitting when there is an important issue in state affairs. In such cases, the opinions of both MPs and senators will be taken with no resolution passed by Parliament on the issue put forward in the debate. He said that the royal words ?understanding, accessibility, and development,? must be upheld in tackling problems in the deep South with local participation in development, especially in terms of education and employment.

The Prime Minister also touched on his talks with Mr. Ahmad Hasyim Muzadi, leader of the largest Muslim organization in Indonesia, Nahdlatul Ulama, who paid a visit to Thailand as guest of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Muzadi stated that the southern conflicts resulted from misunderstanding and suspicion and had nothing to do with religion. He also said that a group of people with bad intentions used religion as a political tool and distorted Islamic teachings, but only a small number of people were misled. Prime Minister Thaksin admired Mr. Muzadi?s views, saying that they would be useful in dealing with troubles in the deep South.

All parties involved have been urged to join forces in tackling problems in the deep South with solutions based on royal speeches. The call was made by President of the Privy Council General Prem Tinsulanonda at the seminar ?Joining Forces in Solving Problems in Southern Border Provinces Based on Royal Speeches,? held at the Convention Center, Chulabhorn Research Institute, in Bangkok on 28 February 2005.

Organized by the Foundation for International Human Resource Development, the seminar aimed to create unity in handling the southern unrest. It was attended by representatives of the public and private sectors, members of the civil society, religious leaders, and the media. Speakers included a privy councilor, the Minister of Defense, academics, and senior officials responsible for security and peace-building in the South.

General Prem said that His Majesty the King?s speeches reflect his loving-kindness and concern for the people without prejudice. He stressed the need to have proper understanding about the royal words ?understanding, accessibility, and development.? These words have deep meanings and should be translated into action to bring peace and happiness to the people, especially those in the three southern border provinces, which were facing the unrest.

The royal speech concerning ?understanding, accessibility, and development? was given by His Majesty the King on 23 February 2004, when Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was granted an audience with His Majesty. The audience was granted following violent incidents in January 2004. General Prem gave an explanation on the royal words, saying that all sides must seek to understand the problems, win the local residents? hearts, and join hands in local development. He also called on Thai people of all faiths to boost the morale of both affected villagers and officials working to improve the situation, saying that Buddhist Thais do not regard Muslim Thais as second-class citizens at all.

Other speakers at the seminar said that southern problems were complicated and might spread, if no proper action was taken. So the Government should not be left alone to deal with them; all parties must join hands in seeking solutions. Misunderstanding must be eliminated and solidarity must be strengthened among the people. All the participants shared the view that southern problems should be tackled through peaceful means and public participation. This approach is in line with royal speeches.

First of all, they said that a cooperative atmosphere must be created between state officials and the locals by eliminating suspicion. Proactive public relations must be carried out, education must be promoted, and local development must take into consideration an economy that is in accordance with local culture. In addition, officials working in the areas must be good and honest.

The speakers wanted the new generation to learn how to ease southern problems from the body of knowledge created by the older generations. The knowledge should be developed further and put into use. More importantly, royal speeches should be studied to support southern operations to bring lasting peace to the region.

The Government established the Southern Border Provinces Peace-Building Command on 4 October 2004 to stop the unrest in the South and bring about security through unified and integrated efforts by the military, the police, civil servants, and the general public.

The unrest was cited as a result of several sensitive and complex problems in terms of socio-psychology, the economy, administration, and in particular, the lack of understanding and trust between government officials and local residents. Unemployment, poverty, and a feeling of unfair treatment were among the causes for the unrest, with a group of people misleading young people with distorted religious principles.

The Command adopted the development-led approach in dealing with problems in the three southern border provinces. It stressed peaceful means as a major policy, with emphasis on intelligence work and the elimination of social conditions that may lead to the unrest.

The strategy of the peace-building command seeks to restore peace in the deep South through the use of psychological operations in tandem with economic and social development, based on a politics-led basis. It has integrated the operations of all government agencies involved and the civic sector in each locality to bring about lasting peace to the southern region. The main objective is to urge local villagers to build up peace in their own communities, with the help and support of officials.

Towards this aim, the peace-building command staff has constantly exchanged views with local religious leaders and people to create better understanding. The move will also enable them to know their needs and come up with projects in response to their demands. It is trying to encourage local villagers to take part in various government projects. Its goals are to improve the people?s living conditions, ease their hardship, and help develop the local economy and communities. The peace-building command realizes that in order to tackle the unrest problem, it must try to win the hearts and minds of local villagers, with public participation as the key to success.

According to statistics compiled by the peace-building command, the three southernmost provinces are predominantly Muslim. The population in Narathiwat is about 700,000, and 78 percent of the local people are Muslims. Pattani has a population of 620,000, and out of this number, 77 percent are Muslims. Yala has a population of 450,000, and Muslims make up 62 percent of the population. The people who have created the unrest form only a small group, while most of the local people do not agree with those who have destructive intentions.

The Southern Border Provinces Peace-Building Command has proposed guidelines for officials posted in the southern border provinces to work in an integrated manner to enable people to co-exist peacefully and promote relations and understanding between state officials and local people. For example, they must perform their duties with good understanding about the local people?s religious beliefs and culture. They must support the policy of developing southern border provinces and deem it their duty to facilitate religious practices by Muslim Thais.

In an effort to ease problems in the southernmost region, the peace-building command launched a program, ?Morality Promotion for Peace,? to provide training for young people of all faiths in the three southern provinces from February to April 2005. It realizes that young people should be provided with proper knowledge and understanding, so that they can protect themselves from ill-intentioned people. The main objective of the program was to provide them with better understanding about the democratic system, with His Majesty the King as Head of State. They were provided with proper religious teachings, which would be applied as guidelines to co-exist with other people. Moreover, the program was intended to encourage young people to have positive attitudes towards one another and take pride in Thailand.

In a move to streamline security operations for peace-building in the deep South, the Government on 31 May 2005 issued an order to set up a Committee on Southern Border Provinces Peace-Building Policy, supervised directly by the Prime Minister. The order, ?The Policy and Development of the Management System for Peace-Building in Southern Border Provinces,? aims to bring about greater efficiency in line with the changing situation, shorten lines of command, and boost coordination among relevant agencies. The committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya, is responsible for working out strategies and setting guidelines to deal with southern problems in an integrated manner.

The Prime Minister?s Office on 28 March 2005 issued an order appointing the National Reconciliation Commission to help ease problems in the deep South. The 48-member Commission, known in short as NRC, is chaired by former Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun, with prominent social critic Prawase Wasi as vice chairman. It comprises 16 representatives from the civic sector in the affected areas, 11 representatives from the civic sector outside the affected areas, seven from the political sector, and nine from the public sector. The Secretary of the Cabinet serves as member and secretary, with well-known academics Gothom Areeya and Surichai Wankaew as co-members and secretaries.

The NRC is responsible for suggesting policies, measures, mechanisms, and methods to create reconciliation and bring peace to Thai society, especially the three southern border provinces. It will investigate the southern unrest and conduct research studies on southern problems. The NRC is entrusted with developing the processes to prevent and ease conflicts and violence and make them known widely among the general public. It will also educate the public on adverse effects of violence and hatred and the necessity to use peaceful means to stop violence. At the same time, the NRC will promote social justice with respect for social and cultural diversity.

Mr. Anand said this Commission would operate independently and quickly to complete its report and submit it to the Prime Minister for further action. Citing misunderstanding, suspicion, and violence as major problems causing unrest in the deep South, he urged the media to play an important role in creating a new atmosphere to bring about better understanding and reduce fear, mistrust, and suspicion. The new atmosphere would facilitate the work of the NRC.

Mr. Anand pointed out that problems in the southernmost region have been accumulating for a number of years and could not be eased in a short time. Even so, the NRC would work to the best of its ability. He believes that if policies and measures are set in accordance with peaceful means, positive trends will be seen in easing these problems. The NRC would place an emphasis on information gathering and intelligence analysis. It would also take care of public safety concerns, and in the long run, it must focus attention on various problems, such as education, curricula, textbooks, religious and cultural studies, and development. Mr. Anand explained that ?development? in this context involves not only economic development but also thinking development. He stressed the need to adjust the paradigm or world views of all people involved to reflect reality in order to achieve success in tackling southern problems.

He also pointed out that Thailand?s success in tackling the AIDS epidemic came about because it had placed emphasis on prevention. At the same time, people had been provided with accurate information. Public relations campaigns to warn the people of the deadly disease had also helped bring down the number of AIDS cases. The efforts to deal with problems in the three southern border provinces should also be based on a similar approach.

The Muslim World League has called on Muslims in all countries not to get involved in causing disturbances. Chularajamontri, or the State Counselor for all Thai Islamic affairs, quoted a message from the Muslim World League saying that the recent meeting of the League?s Constituent Council expressed opposition to terrorism.

In his speech broadcast nationwide in early October 2004, Chularajamontri Sawat Sumalayasak said that after being informed about the southern situation, the Muslim World League sent the message to various Muslim countries, such as Iraq, Iran, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

As for Thailand, Mr. Sawat said that there was a statement saying that the Muslim World League wanted to see Muslim Thais live happily. So it has been suggested that the League give proper guidelines for Muslims to maintain the correct teachings of Islam and that it offer assistance to Islamic schools in Thailand. The assistance in the teaching of the Islamic religion would be in line with the lifestyle of Muslims in Thailand.

More importantly, he said, Muslim Thais should be aware of the speech given by Her Majesty the Queen at Daksin Palace in Narathiwat. The Muslim spiritual leader quoted Her Majesty as saying that all Thais, regardless of their religious beliefs, are equal and that His Majesty the King is the Upholder of all religions. He said that Thai people of all faiths have lived together happily and do not want anyone to create misunderstanding between them.

Mr. Sawat stressed that Thai people want to co-exist peacefully, with His Majesty the King as Head of State and Upholder of all religions. He said that according to Section 5 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand, Thai people, irrespective of their origin, sex, or religion, shall enjoy equal protection under this Constitution. Section 38 clearly states that a person shall enjoy full liberty to profess a religious sect or creed, and observe religious precepts or exercise a form of worship in accordance with his or her belief, provided that it is not contrary to his or her civic duties, public order, or good morals.

The delegation from the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has reaffirmed that the situation in the southern provinces of Thailand was not a religious conflict.

The five-member delegation, led by Mr. Sayed Gasim Almasri, the former OIC secretary-general, was on a goodwill and orientation visit to Thailand from 2 to 13 June 2005 at the invitation of the Thai government. The visit came after Mr. Nissai Vejjajiva, the special envoy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had led a delegation to OIC in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on 5 March 2005, in response to the concern expressed by OIC regarding the situation in the southern provinces of Thailand.

The OIC delegation made a tour of the southern border provinces, which have a large population of Muslim Thais. The tour brought the members of the delegation to the Krue Se Mosque in Pattani Province and the Tak Bai police station in Narathiwat Province, where tragic incidents took place in 2004. They also observed other sites of violent incidents perpetrated by militants.

The OIC delegates gathered first-hand information and facts about the situation that would enable them to have a better understanding of the incidents. They paid a courtesy call on Chairman of the National Reconciliation Commission Anand Panyarachun and also held discussions with Chularajamontri, government officials, local religious and community leaders, business people, and members of non-governmental organizations.

In a joint press statement at the conclusion of the discussions between the head of the OIC delegation and Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Krit Garnjan-goonchorn, the OIC delegation reiterated that the visit to the deep South was not intended as an attempt to intervene in the internal affairs of Thailand. The organization reaffirmed its long-standing policy of not supporting separatism and sectarianism. It respects Thailand?s sovereignty and condemns acts of violence from all quarters and terror against innocent civilians.

The OIC delegation welcomed steps taken by the Thai government to provide compensation to the victims of the Tak Bai and Krue Se incidents and their families, especially financial and educational assistance, as well as counseling, vocational training, and sponsorship for the Haj pilgrimage. It appreciated the intensified efforts made by the Thai government to address the southern situation in a comprehensive and long-term manner to meet the people?s economic and social needs and to address the root causes of the problem through dialogue as part of the reconciliation efforts.

The Thai side pointed out that there was no discrimination against Muslim Thais and they are not treated as a minority. It was evident that the current situation in the three southern border provinces was being instigated by militants who have resorted to terror and violence directed at innocent civilians, both Muslim and Buddhist Thais. The Thai side also recognized the Krue Se and Tak Bai incidents as national tragedies, which resulted from failure of the officers to properly discharge their assigned functions and duties. It reaffirmed that findings of the independent fact-finding committees were in the process of implementation and that persons found to have committed wrongdoing would be subject to the due process of law, to avoid a climate of impunity.

In the joint press statement, the Thai side explained that the southern situation had been marked by relative peace and religious harmony prior to the outbreak of violence in January 2004. It stated that under the Constitution of Thailand, Muslim Thais enjoyed the same political and civil liberties and freedom of religion as any Thai citizen. In response to queries made by the OIC delegation on the application of martial law, the Thai side explained that martial law was only a temporary measure and did not substantially curtail fundamental human rights as enshrined in Thailand?s Constitution and international obligations.

Meanwhile, a press release, issued by the Directorate of Joint Civil Affairs, Office of Supreme Commander, referred to the goodwill and orientation visit to southern Thailand by the OIC delegation. According to the release, the delegation had gained first-hand information about the southern situation and accepted that the unrest did not stem from religious conflicts. It considered that the problem was an internal issue of Thailand. Apart from having a better understanding that Thailand accords people religious freedom, the OIC also condemned the acts of violence against innocent people.

In the release, the Directorate of Joint Civil Affairs called on the people to join forces against ill-intentioned people. The public was also urged to cooperate with the authorities in providing protection for the local community and bringing about prosperity and to have confidence in the military?s efforts to restore peace in the southern border provinces.

Speaking in a radio program, Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon revealed that the OIC delegation had a better understanding about Thailand?s openness and tolerance towards various religions and cultures. It also had a positive view about the Thai government?s policies. The delegation reaffirmed OIC?s readiness to cooperate closely with Thailand through OIC itself and its affiliated organizations, such as the Islamic Development Bank, for the well-being of the Muslim community in Thailand.

Foreign Minister Kantathi in late June 2005 attended the 32nd Session of the Islamic Conference of the Foreign Ministers, held in Sana?a, Yemen, at the invitation of the OIC. He was the first foreign minister of Thailand to take the floor at this conference. In his statement, he indicated that Thailand attached much importance to its ties with individual OIC members, and that it was proud of associating with OIC.

He said that, in Thailand, there are 7.5 million Muslim Thais, representing 12 percent of the country?s total population. The Muslim Thai community is very important part of Thai society. There are many religions in Thailand coexisting in harmony. Thailand sees its diversity as its strength. It respects cultural and religious distinctions and encourages their healthy interaction in order to bring about harmony and prosperity for all.

To his deep regret, the Foreign Minister said, he had seen Islam and its principles being misrepresented and misperceived. Extremist elements in the world at large had been using religion as a pretext for discord and violence. He emphasized the need to echo the themes of the Amman Message of peace, harmony, and tolerance, as well as the need to empower the voices of the moderates to turn back the tides of extremism. The Thai government is determined to promote and protect the interests of the Muslim community in Thailand. It also stands ready to work closely with OIC and its members.

He revealed that the OIC members were supportive of Thailand and were pleased that Thailand had adopted a constructive and transparent approach in working with OIC, including the invitation extended for the OIC delegation to visit Thailand in early June 2005. OIC reaffirmed the situation in Thailand was not a religious conflict and regarded it as Thailand?s internal affair.

According to Mr. Kantathi, all the documents issued at the OIC meeting had positive references to Thailand with regard to the situation in the three southern provinces. The OIC Resolution and Final Communiqué noted the positive outcome of the OIC delegation?s visit to Thailand from 2 to 13 June 2005. It also reflected the constructive dialogue and positive relations between Thailand and OIC.

In terms of future cooperation, the OIC offered its assistance to Thailand, particularly in the area of education. Thailand has been an observer at OIC since 1998.

The Government is preparing to develop education on a wide scale in the southernmost region. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, in his weekly radio address on 9 July 2005, pointed out that the lack of general education had deprived residents in the three southern border provinces of opportunities to improve their lot in society.

The Prime Minister said that during a meeting on education in the South on July 8, he urged all officials involved to join forces in handling educational development there. After the meeting, the Prime Minister observed a model of an ?instant school buildings,? which is designed in a ?knockdown? style, partially pre-assembled.

The Office of Vocational Education Commission handed over the model to him to be presented to the southernmost provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, and Yala. Each of these provinces would receive five school buildings of this type. Technical colleges in the three provinces would assemble the knockdown schools to replace the old schools, which had been destroyed in arson attacks. The new school buildings were designed to support education, managed by the Office of the Basic Education Commission, in the deep South.

The Prime Minister said that each knockdown school building, worth about 200,000 baht, could accommodate more than 20 schoolchildren. It takes only five to six hours to assemble this movable building. He thanked vocational students and their teachers for designing the model. Inside the building would be a blackboard, a fan, computers, and lights. The Prime Minister told Education Minister Adisai Bodharamik to have more buildings of this type made, so that they might be used in other provinces as well, in case natural disasters destroyed any school buildings.

He also commended vocational students for their ability to build low-priced, walkie-talkie communication radios for southern teachers to use. In this connection, the Education Minister gave a communication radio to each school in the deep South, while each teacher was also provided with a radio to communicate with military and police officials for their safety.

The Government is focusing its attention on carrying out development work and providing educational opportunities in the three southern border provinces. It has allocated subsidies for pondok schools in the South and integrated the Islamic study curriculum with that of basic education. Occupational training, Thai language study, and other subjects of modern education are included in the new curriculum as well.

The Government has stressed the need to impose a state of emergency executive decree to deal with the unrest in the three southern border provinces. In his weekly radio address, broadcast on Radio Thailand on 16 July 2005, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra gave an explanation about the executive decree.

The Cabinet, at its special meeting on July 15, approved the executive decree, following a series of five explosions in Yala Province on the night of July 14. The bomb attacks killed two police officers and injured 20 people. They resulted in a blackout in Muang District of Yala, but officials could bring the situation under control within less than two hours; later, several militants were arrested.

The Prime Minister explained that the executive decree would replace martial law imposed in certain areas in the deep South. He said that the National Reconciliation Commission had suggested that a new law be issued to replace martial law, which had caused some bad feelings locally and internationally. However, the Prime Minister realized that the new law must empower officials to handle problems in emergency situations. So he entrusted Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam and several legal experts with integrating all existing relevant laws into a single legal instrument in order to deal with the unrest with greater flexibility and efficiency.

For this reason, the new law was drafted and it was only a matter of time before promulgation. But the Yala incident prompted the Government to decide to put in place the new law in the form of an executive decree; otherwise, officials would not be able to handle the situation effectively. The law would facilitate operations by officials in terms of arresting suspects and making requests for searching.

Prime Minister Thaksin said that the new law could not be enforced if there was no emergency situation, and that the Government must declare it through a Cabinet resolution. Moreover, the Government must take political responsibility for announcing this executive decree, as Parliament could raise queries, unlike martial law empowering the military to deal with situations without political intervention. The executive decree would be enforced after being endorsed by His Majesty the King and announced in the Royal Gazette. Once it was announced, martial law would be scrapped. When Parliament reconvened in August, the executive decree would be submitted for Parliament to turn it to a royal decree.

The Prime Minister admitted that the law might limit personal rights and freedom, but the Government would ensure that limits would be imposed only as necessary for the sake of peace and happiness of the people and national security. He believed that most people would understand the necessity of the new law and could accept it.

The enforcement of the new law would last three months but might be renewed, if necessary.

The Prime Minister?s Office on 19 July 2005 issued a statement giving an explanation about the 2005 Executive Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations, announced by the Government on July 16.

According to the statement, the executive decree is meant as a more adequate legal instrument for state officials to deal with ?emergency situations? appropriately with greater efficiency. Although the emphasis is now placed on prevention and the solving of problems in the three southern border provinces, the issuance of this decree may also be used in other emergency situations, such as violent disturbances, public disasters, and terrorism.

The statement says the law governing emergency situations is necessary, as found in various countries. It is not against the rule of law, human rights, or democratic administration, as long as it is imposed only as necessary, taking into consideration the severity of dangers or the seriousness of situations. Measures to be adopted must not be violent or beyond necessity. In this regard, national security, public safety, and individual rights and freedom must be weighed.

In fact, the 1914 Martial Law Act and the 1952 Public Administration in Emergency Situations Act were imposed to deal with disturbances in the past. But there has been mistrust over the enforcement of martial law in the three southern border provinces and calls have been made for the scrapping of this law. The government security agencies did not object to the abolishment of martial law, which gives more power to the military than to civilians, because imposing martial law might give the impression that the situation was very serious, as if it were a war. But the security agencies also called for other laws to replace martial law; otherwise there would be a gap in state power. The 1952 Public Administration in Emergency Situations Act and other measures are considered not suitable for the present situation.

The statement stresses the need to integrate existing relevant laws for use to handle the situations that require rapidity and decisiveness to ease people?s hardship, maintain orderliness, and restore peace as soon as possible. For this reason, a special law was needed to integrate the use of power to deal with emergency situations like the unrest in Yala Province on 14 July 2005. Based on evidence and intelligence, state officials must be empowered to control the situation and deal with certain actions promptly. The exercising of power in such a manner is in line with the Constitution of Thailand. Even international rules governing civil and political rights, with Thailand as a signatory party, also allow the use of this power under certain conditions.

Since the executive decree aims for prevention and suppression and is an exception to the normal situation, it might limit some personal rights and conveniences. However, the Government will ensure that it will enforce this law only as necessary, and it calls on the people to cooperate with state officials. The Government reaffirms that it will continue to uphold peaceful means and reconciliation. It desires to see unrest in the three southern provinces stop as soon as possible on the basis of ?understanding, accessibility, and development.?

The statement indicates that although this law gives much power, this does not mean that all sections can be imposed, as they must be put for consideration by a committee, with the Permanent Secretary for Security, commanders-in-chief of the armed forces, and legal officials as members. Moreover, measures have been worked out that require the punishment of violators to be considered by normal courts of justice. As for a suggestion offered by some people for the establishment of a panel to look into freedom violations during the period, the Government considers the suggestion reasonable and will implement it. Since the issuance of the new emergency law avoids the imposition of martial law, there is no reason for the Government to adopt more drastic measures that would violate individual rights and freedom. The Government guarantees that people who cause no harm will not be affected at all. Affected by this legal measure will be only ill-intentioned people and those who ignore the atmosphere of reconciliation and the concern of their fellow countrymen, as well as those who abuse the gift of rights and freedom for the purpose of destroying the rights and freedom of peace-loving people.