Insurgency in 3 Provinces in Southern Part of Thailand

Abstract

Thailand has endured a serious insurgency problem in three of its southern provinces since 2001. Many people have been killed by shootings and bombings; the principle human targets include soldiers, policemen, teachers, and monks. These incidents occur nearly every day. The main objective of the insurgency group is to separate and rule three provinces in southern Thailand. They are trying to turn their fight into a religious conflict and are attempting to widen the situation. Their actions have been misunderstood in the international community, especially in the Islamic world. The Thai government doesn't know how the insurgency is organized, who the commander is, or who supports them. The purpose of this research paper is to examine and analyze causes and effects of the ongoing insurgency. This will include the role of globalization and its effects on Thailand; the particular history of the three provinces involved in the revolt and its relationship to the causes of the insurgency; other factors that make the revolt more likely, such as ethnic conflict, religious conflict, poverty, and crime; the policies of the Thai government towards the insurgency; and the chances for more effective policies in the future. The recent military coup in Thailand may present an opportunity for policy change. The author concludes with some policy recommendations to address the root causes of the insurgency and to improve Thai counterinsurgency efforts in the future.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 12, 2007
Accession Number
ADA469120

Entities

People

  • Kanid Utitsarn

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Asia
  • Education
  • Governments
  • Instructors
  • Insurgency
  • Law
  • Middle East
  • National Governments
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Social Problems
  • South Asia
  • Southeast Asia
  • Students
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • Thailand
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union
  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.