The Freedom to Decide Our Future: Patani People Call for a Peaceful Settlement
Author: Centre for Peace & Conflict Studies (CPCS)
Published by: Centre for Peace & Conflict Studies (CPCS)
Publication date: January 2019
The conflict in the three southernmost provinces of Thailand had taken close to seven thousand lives since it re-ignited in 2004 until 2018. At that time, the Thai State was engaged in a peace process with the MARA Patani, an umbrella organisation claiming to represent the insurgency from the South. However, the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), widely recognized as controlling most of the armed insurgents in the region, reportedly refused to participate in that peace process. In the midst of these high-level dynamics, a crucial and critical voice must be remembered – that of the every day people who are living in the heart of the conflict. How is the conflict affecting their lives? What is the impact of the 15 years of violence on their livelihoods, education, culture, identity and dignity? To find answers to these questions, researchers from the region employed CPCS’ Listening Methodology to better understand the opinions, perspectives and aspirations of the people living in these communities. This publication documents the results of this research – conducted in 2018 and published in 2019 – along with key emerging recommendations for the international community, the Thai State, the armed insurgent movement and the general public.