Despite the confusion over the identities of the perpetrators, the question remains whether Thailand's deep South will take its rebellion to the capital, thus bringing international attention to the problem. This would kill any chance for peace and completely alienate the deep South. Presently, the political turmoil in Bangkok would seem like an opportune time for certain elements to strike in hopes of exacerbating the violence.

Thus the death of elementary school teacher Juling Pangamoon dissuades even moderate Thais from empathising with the cause of the separatists. At 24 years of age when she was killed, her memory will incite a generation of future Thai leaders against the majority of pious and peace-loving Muslims. Choosing to conduct assaults on schools - intended to be a symbolic act against the Thai state's assimilation policy dating back to the Education Act of 1921 - is a regressive course of action as it takes the lives of civilians, often in gruesome clashes. The execution and subsequent burning of 48-year-old teacher Non Chaisuwan witnessed by teachers and students of Saiburi district school is deplorable. These unarmed soft targets are hardly legitimate targets for the separatists' cause. Freedom cannot be won at the expense of the innocent, neither can real peace be possible for Thai-Muslims if the struggle is tainted with criminal activities.

Muslim civilians are also targets and victims of senseless violence. A recent study by researchers at Prince of Songkhla University, Pattani found that of the 1730 confirmed conflict-related deaths recorded between January 2004 and August of last year, the majority of the victims were Muslim civilians, teachers, village headmen and bureaucrats. Thus the question arises: can a separatist movement effectively champion its cause when the very people it represents are often the first casualties?

Any group that terrorises its own people only sows the seeds of resentment against it. The recent murder of a moderate Muslim cleric is a further case in point. Islam is clear in this context and strictly forbids murder. It is as if one has killed all mankind (Surah Al-Maidah, verse 32).

It would be unfair however to put the blame of violence solely on separatist groups.

Poverty and economic deprivation, heavy-handed security tactics, criminal elements, rogue political agents and foreign organisations may form the recipe for unrest in the South. Hitherto, the Thai government still does not know who to talk to in the deep South. Other than veteran separatists groups, there is no entity that speaks on behalf of the younger, violent generation of separatists. The juwae or village- based militants who are organised into clusters of cells should now shed their cloaks and surface in order to take responsibility for their actions. The juwae should seize the moment in the current climate of conciliatory gestures by Thai authorities.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont's admission that "historical injustice" was the root cause of the problem and his apology over harsh measures implemented by the previous government should not be taken lightly. His positive approach with regards to the Malay or Yawi language as a working language and the implementation of shariah law creates a platform for peace. By the same token, Defence Minister General Boonrawd Somtas is confident that the situation will improve in the next six months. Therefore, peace is only truly possible if separatist groups abandon their demands for independence or an autonomous state. It is inconceivable that Bangkok would concede to those demands. A temporary cessation of violence could pave the way for reconciliation between Thai-Muslims in the South and the rest of the Thai population.

At this stage, peace is within sight. The sudden escalation of violence ironically seems to confirm this state of affairs. The failure of the juwae and other separatist groups to consider the plight of their Muslim brothers who have been suffering for so long will result in continued misery as the fight rages on and on. Dr Mahathir Mohamad said: "They have some grievances, but I have told them quite clearly they should not make any effort to become an independent state or even [get] autonomy because the Thai government does not like that. But they can have some of their grievances attended to".

Furthermore, the persistence of the juwae to operate clandestinely opens up the possibility of foreign elements hijacking the separatist cause. In a recent interview with Al Jazeera, Wan Kadir Che Wan - who heads Bersatu, an umbrella organisation for southern separatist groups - posited that young fighters were unwilling to negotiate with the Thai government because they believed they were winning their fight for a separate state. He went on to say that, "the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) extremist network is helping groups of young fighters stage attacks in Thailand's Muslim-majority south".

The deep infiltration of pan-Asian jihadist or Wahhabism operatives will cause the conflict to be examined in larger political terms. Thus, in this climate of political infighting in the corridors of power in Bangkok, set against a backdrop of unrest in the southern provinces, there may come a time when Bangkok is seen as legitimate a target as any school in the South of Thailand.

The end result of such a design would be disastrous for the Muslims in the South to say the least. Therefore Thai-Muslims must stand united against any attempt by any separatist group that is not accountable to the people as well as any criminal elements that intend to frustrate any peace initiatives. Despite the fact that in reality it's easier said than done, the fact remains that the future of Thailand belongs to all Thai people, especially those living in the South of Thailand.

Imran Imtiaz Shah Yacob is a Malaysian broadcast journalist and a lawyer. He can be contacted at imran.yacob@gmail.com.

Special to The Nation

Kuala Lumpur