Memories of Martyrdom and Landscapes of Terror: Fear and Resistance Among the Malays of Southern Thailand

Abstract

The re-emergence of an insurgency in January 2004 has generated much attention to the largely Malay-populated provinces of Southern Thailand. Since then, there has been a proliferation of published written works on the issue in the form of newspaper articles, reports, as well as scholarly writings. Yet, the issue remains largely perplexing for observers of the political violence including academic, public intellectuals, and the Thai-government, amongst others.This thesis attempts to shed some light on the political turmoil through the author's observation of the everyday lives of Malays living in the area. It contends that Malay memories of violence between their community and the Thai-state are consequential in the formation of its contemporary members' attitudes towards the Thai-state and its agents such as the civil service and the security forces.The Malay community of southern Thailand, however, must not be viewed as a monolithic group. Some amongst them take up arms and join the insurgency, others do not. They resist the Thai-state in other ways.