Surayud's unreserved apology to Muslims for the heavy-handed approach taken by past governments - which had aggravated the situation in the region - showed his good faith in dealing with the crisis there. But it so far has had little effect on the level of raging violence.

The Surayud government might be on the right track in addressing the civil strife but it would be naive to expect the situation to turn around in the near future. The iron-fisted policy of the Thaksin administration helped turn an otherwise low-intensity conflict into a near full-blown insurgency and one of the biggest crises facing the country.

And as authorities struggle to find a way to abate the violence, ordinary citizens in the region continue to pay the price. For outsiders, it might be hard to imagine how the people of the three southern provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, which form the hotbed of the Muslim insurgency, manage to cope with the almost daily violence that has claimed more than 2,000 lives over the past five years.

During a recent trip to the region I found that people down there are finding it harder to live a normal life. The security situation in the three provinces is far worse now than it was prior to the Tak Bai incident in 2004, despite a larger presence of security forces.

Of all the people in the region, teachers are probably the most exposed to the daily brutality. The two teachers who were shot while on their way to school in Pattani's Yaring district - one of them died two days later and the other is likely to suffer a permanent speech impairment - are definitely not going to be the last victims of the violence that has gripped the far South in recent years. They were attacked despite the meticulous security the Fourth Army Region usually provides for teachers travelling between their homes and schools.

Teachers are singled out by the Muslim terrorists because they symbolise the power of the state and probably because they are the most vulnerable compared to other civil servants or government officials. Most government schools are located in remote Muslim-dominated areas that more often than not fall under the influence of terrorist groups. Their daily travel to and from schools despite heavily armed escorts can be as dangerous as an Army patrol.

Where else is it necessary for teachers to check beneath their cars or motorcycles before they leave home to make sure that they are not booby-trapped? How many teachers that we know of have to use coded messages on their mobiles to set a rendezvous point with their colleagues every morning so they can travel together to schools under military escort? And don't ask about the pistols that stand out among the teaching kits that many of them carry to school.

Most of them say a safe family reunion over dinner is a daily blessing. They are not exaggerating. They have colleagues who were murdered and some have been victims of attacks but fortunate enough to survive. Forget about weekend outings or leisure trips downtown. Once you are a teacher, you and your family are always potential targets for the insurgents.

"I am scared. Very scared. But to survive, I have to get used to being scared." Those remarks probably best sum up the state of mind of many of the teachers.

Probably no less scared are the Buddhist monks who have also been prime targets of the militants bent on creating a climate of fear in the region. Their morning trips to receive alms from Buddhist faithful have proven as dangerous as the teachers' daily shuttles.

And no place in the three provinces is safe, even for disciples of the Lord Buddha, as the bombing incident in the heart of Narathiwat on October 22 demonstrated. A home-made bomb hidden in a roadside dustbin went off as five monks from a local monastery were on their routine round for alms. The unit of heavily armed soldiers escorting them proved helpless. One soldier was killed and all five of the monks injured, one of them seriously.

The incident was without doubt a premeditated attack against a symbol of the religion rejected by the Muslim extremists - probably designed to provoke a backlash that would escalate the violence. It wasn't the first time Buddhist monks were victimised. Several have been killed or maimed in a series of attacks that have outraged Thai society.

But like the teachers, the Buddhist monks in the three provinces are not giving in to the violence. Though alms begging on the streets is too dangerous and has been suspended since the bombing, the Buddhist monks are determined to continue to spread the message of the Lord Buddha despite the threat to their lives. "To run away now is like abandoning the people who are already losing hope," said one of the monks who survived the bomb attack, when asked why he didn't leave after the ordeal.

Even well-armed paramilitary rangers are no less exposed to dangers than the teachers or monks. For them, a routine patrol could turn into a deadly encounter with the largely invisible insurgents. Especially for those posted to villages classified as "red zones", where Muslim extremists hold sway over the local populace; lives seem to hang in the balance every time they step out of their camps. One can easily discern a sense of edginess among the stern-faced rangers or regular troops whether they are on patrol in a remote village or in a crowded market. Experience has taught them that "enemies" could be lurking around every corner and there can never be a safeguard against guerrilla tactics.

The teachers, monks and rangers on the ground may have their own views on why things are getting worse but they have little or no say on their own fate. They just do their duties regardless of who is in power in Bangkok and are prepared for the worst. The continuing violence means more teachers, monks, police and troops will fall victims to the terror campaign.

But with the adversity they face, what's surprising is that very few harbour feelings of bitterness toward those who have been wreaking havoc in the region.

Instead, many plead for forgiveness, which they say, is crucial to prevent the violence from escalating into the sectarian strife that the extremists want to exploit.

So, the teachers will continue to teach and the monks will continue to preach, while the troops will continue to provide security for the local population, knowing full well that the next day could be their last.

As news organisations in Bangkok busy themselves searching for people to glorify as the heroes or people of the year, it's about time that these little known people in the deep South are recognised for the work they do so tirelessly and fearlessly - and most of the time anonymously - against all odds at great personal risk.

 Thepchai Yong