In Thailand's Muslim-dominated
south, an increasingly violent
insurgency is breeding fear
and mistrust among neighbors,
and government efforts to
bring peace have made little
progress.

More than 2,000 people have
died since a Muslim insurgency
flared up in 2004 in
Thailand's Muslim-majority
southern provinces of Pa
more

In Thailand's Muslim-dominated
south, an increasingly violent
insurgency is breeding fear
and mistrust among neighbors,
and government efforts to
bring peace have made little
progress.

More than 2,000 people have
died since a Muslim insurgency
flared up in 2004 in
Thailand's Muslim-majority
southern provinces of Pattani,
Yala, and Narathiwat. While
the majority of Thailand's 65
million people are Buddhists,
around 1.3 million ethnic
Malay Muslims live in the
south. Most identify more
with Muslim Malaysia and the
Melayu language than with Thai
Buddhists.

Many have complained of
discrimination and attempts at
forced assimilation since
Thailand annexed the region
100 years ago.

The shadowy insurgents have
never identified themselves
nor made any public demands.
Officials and analysts widely
believe they want to establish
a separate Islamic state.

The insurgents attack symbols
of the government, including
the armed forces, schools,
businesses, workers in
critical industries such as
rubber, and places deemed
un-Islamic, like bars that
serve alcohol.

They also kill Muslims viewed
as government collaborators.

The insurgents, however,
primarily target Buddhists in
what is believed to be an
attempt to drive them from the
region. Officials estimate
tens of thousands have fled.
Many of the Buddhist temples
here have closed and all are
heavily guarded.

The government that took power
in a military coup last
September vowed to make peace
in the south a priority, but
has made little progress.

Many Buddhists and Muslims in
southern Thailand say it is a
tragedy that they, who once
lived side by side in peace,
now live in fear. Both sides
worry now that trust and
tolerance have broken down,
this conflict could spiral out
of control.

Category Entertainment

Tags Thailand, Muslim, Islam, war, Buddhists, Muslims