Thaksin can learn from Indonesia<\/p>\n
Thang D. Nguyen, Jakarta<\/p>\n
It may sound like a paradox, but there is a lesson about peace
\nthat Prime Minister Thaksin Sinawatra should learn from Indonesia
\nand apply to the conflict in southern Thailand. On Aug. 15, two
\ndays before Indonesia's 60th Independence Day, the Indonesian
\ngovernment and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) signed a peace
\nagreement in Helsinki.<\/p>\n
Materialized after five rounds of talk, the agreement allows
\nthe Acehnese to have economic and political autonomy, to the
\nextent that they may form local political parties, with Jakarta
\nwithdrawing the Indonesian military's (TNI) operation in the
\nprovince.<\/p>\n
If implemented successfully, this peace deal could end the
\nthree-decade long war between the Indonesian government and GAM,
\nwho had been fighting for full independence from Jakarta, and
\nbring about peace in Aceh -- which was hit hardest during the
\nAsian tsunami last year.<\/p>\n
To make it work, both Jakarta and GAM have to honor the
\nagreement that they signed in Helsinki.<\/p>\n
This means that GAM really has to put down its weapons for
\nonce and for all, and Jakarta has to abide by the agreed cease-
\nfire and allow the autonomy process to start in Aceh. Thus, if
\neither party violates this agreement one way or another, all the
\npeace-building efforts so far will be in vain. And, if this
\nhappened, war would return.<\/p>\n
While we hope that both Jakarta and GAM will succeed with the
\nHelsinki pact, it can serve as an example for Thailand, which is
\nfacing a similar challenge with Muslim-Thai separatists in the
\nsouth.<\/p>\n
Since last January, when assailants attacked a military camp
\nin southern Thailand and cleaned out its armory, about 800 Thais
\nhave died in this conflict.<\/p>\n
The most condemnable bloodshed, however, took place on Oct. 25
\nlast year when 78 Muslim-Thai protesters were arrested and
\nsuffocated to death while being transported in police trucks.<\/p>\n
\"This is typical,\" said Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra when
\nasked about reports of scores dead in this massacre. \"It's about
\nbodies made weak from fasting. Nobody hurt them.\"<\/p>\n
It can only be hoped that Prime Minister Thaksin's knowledge
\nof postmortem forensics has improved since he made this infamous
\nstatement. But, alas, he has not softened his violence-based
\napproach to dealing with the conflict in the south, which doesn't
\nseems to get better as time goes by.<\/p>\n
To be fair, however, Thaksin has met with Muslim leaders from
\nother countries, namely Indonesia, to seek their advice on how to
\nsolve the southern problem. He has also put together a team of
\nexperienced and able Thais, such as former foreign minister Surin
\nPitsuwan, to work on it.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, this team seems ineffective because -- being
\nthe autocrat that he is -- Thaksin still calls all the shots when
\nit comes to the southern conflict, or everything else in Thailand
\nfor that matter. He sees and approaches it the same way that US
\nPresident George W. Bush -- whom he admires a lot -- does
\nterrorism.<\/p>\n
Obviously, Thaksin's way of dealing with such a multi-
\ndimensional and complex issue as the southern conflict is not
\nworking. This is because he is trying to solve this problem with
\nmilitary forces thinking that it will be corrected instead of
\nfinding out what its root causes are and treating them with
\nappropriate, preventive measures.<\/p>\n
To be sure, the Malay-Muslims in the south have been, and
\nstill are, the minority or \"underdog\" group. They make up about
\n2.3 million people of Thailand's 63 million population, the
\nmajority of whom are Buddhist. Over a century ago, the five
\nsouthern provinces belonged to the Muslim kingdom of Pattani,
\nwhich was \"annexed\" in 1902 by Siam, as Thailand was known then.<\/p>\n
The fact is that the discontent among Muslim Thais in the
\nsouth has been fed by the poor economic opportunities in the
\nregion; their distinct culture, history, language and religion
\nfrom the Buddhist Thai majority; and the human rights violations
\nthey have been subject to by Thai troops and police.<\/p>\n
This is what Prime Minister Thaksin is not accepting it as the
\ntruth.<\/p>\n
Now, the question remains, what to do to bring peace to the
\nsouth?<\/p>\n
First, Prime Minister Thaksin should admit that he has been
\nwrong with his heavy-handed handling of the southern conflict.<\/p>\n
Like an alcoholic who is trying to quit drinking, this first
\nstep is most crucial because, if he keeps thinking that he has
\nbeen doing the right things all this time, he will keep
\nescalating the violence the south and, thereby, worsen the
\nsituation on the ground.<\/p>\n
Second, as the Indonesians have done with the Acehnese, Prime
\nMinister Thaksin should encourage talks between Bangkok and
\nrepresentatives of the Pattani region that can lead to a peace
\nagreement.<\/p>\n
These talks, which can take place in another country and be
\nmediated by a third party, will allow Bangkok and the leadership
\nof the Pattani region to put on the table their needs or demands
\nthat must be mutually met, so that peace may to the south.<\/p>\n
This part is quite challenging in the sense that, unlike GAM
\nin Aceh, no individual leader or organization in the south has
\nclaimed the leadership to represent the people of the south. It
\nis, however, doable if Bangkok can show its willingness and
\nability to hold talks with representatives from the south.<\/p>\n
Finally, if a peace pact can ever be made between Bangkok and
\nthe south, both the Thaksin government and the leadership of the
\nsouth -- whoever it may be -- must carry out the terms of peace
\nthat are mutually agreed.<\/p>\n
Peace in southern Thailand is possible. But, it won't be won
\nwith violence. Rather, it will require the Thai government to win
\nthe hearts and minds of the people in the south. But most
\nimportantly, peace is only possible when it is honored.<\/p>\n
The writer is a Jakarta-based columnist (whose writing can be
\nread at http:\/\/thangthecolumnist.blogspot.com). Currently, he is
\nediting a book on Thailand.<\/p>",
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