Violence is rooted in indoctrination and the sowing the seed of hatred
The year 2014 saw a marked increase in the violence perpetrated against soft targets among them women, children, the elderly, teachers, monks, religious leaders and health workers.
Health workers who were normally spared the violence were twice attacked since April. The first incident took place on April 29 in Si Sakhon district of Narathiwat, resulting to the death of a pregnant health worker and her colleague was seriously injured. The second occurred on July 9 at a flea market in Yaha district of Narathiwat when two female students of Sirindhorn health college were gunned down in broad daylight and amidst shocked shoppers and traders.
The Cross Cultural Foundation and the Duey Jai group have condemned the violence perpetrated against women and children. The two organizations said that during the first half of the fasting month of Ramadan, four women have been killed so far. The victims included Mrs Somjai Chai-iad, a 37-year old employee of Diana shopping centre in Pattani, 50-year old Mrs Jiraporn Watthuetham, owner of a grocery’s shop in Bannang Sata district of Yala and the two female students in Yaha district of Yala. All the dead victims were Buddhists.
On top of that, five women were injured when suspected militants sprayed a songthaew passenger car with assault rifles on July 8 in Yala.
There have been different theories to explain the escalated violence. One theory cited a religious belief held by the militants that to get killed during the month of Ramadan would be more meritorious and, hence, the escalated violence by the militants. Another theory said that it was meant to challenge the National Council for Peace and Order.
The third theory was that the increased attacks were meant to avenge the killing of the father of an imam of Ban Tha Muang masjid in Panareh district of Pattani on June 30. However, the forward command of the Internal Security Operations Command clarified that the killing was accidental as a group of militants wanted to kill an assistant headman but the bullets missed the target and, instead, hit the imam’s father.
The fourth theory was that the increased violence was in response to the NCPO’s new peace talk approach that the issue of self determination or special administration zone for the Deep South would not be discussed.
The most credible theory has something to do with the indoctrination of beliefs and the sowing of the seed of hatred among the militants against the non-Muslims which have turned the militants into killers who have completely no sense of guilt for murdering the weak targets.
One glaring example was the machinegun attack at a grocery in Kok Po district of Pattani killing 44-year old Ms Kasinee Romkatekaew who suffered from polio since childhood.
The question is what was instilled into the minds of these militants which made them so ruthless that they could kill indiscriminately even a defenceless monk, a child or a woman.
The forward command of ISOC has a report about the southern conflict and the obstacles of resolving the conflict. The report touches on the historic background of the state of Patani and its subsequent annexation by the Siamese state and the revived sense of nationalism among the Malay Muslims.
Hence, the Thai Buddhists are called the "Seeyae" or "Siamese" while the Malay Muslims in the Deep South called themselves "Nayu".
Also, the indoctrination of the concept of the Patani state and Darul Harbi which means that all the Muslims must launch a jihad to drive away the non-Muslims out of their ancestral territory called Patani.
These indoctrinated or "misguided" militants have seen themselves as jihadists or heroes struggling for a just case even if innocent and defenceless people are killed in cold-blood manner while the state and the media condemn their actions and call them murderers.
So how can we resolve this problem? Or how can we convert these "misguided" militants instead of condemning them which will not help in solving the problem?
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Caption : The scene of two female students of Sirindhorn health college were killed in the flea market in Yaha district in Yala on July 9.