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Published on November 24, 2007

The time has come for Thai citizens to elect the representatives who will serve them in Parliament and form a new government that will usher in the country's fresh attempt to rebuild democracy. Many Thais in the restive southernmost region, who are predominantly Muslim of Malay descent, look forward to exercising their constitutional right to vote. Like all Thais, they will determine the future direction of Thailand's political, economic and social development.

But many will be reluctant to take part in the democratic process that will have a great bearing on their lives because the violence perpetrated by Islamic militants/Malay separatists in Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and parts of Songkhla has continued unabated despite the efforts of government security forces to suppress it. More than 2,700 people have been killed in the four years since the insurgents launched their terrorist campaign against the Thai state and the civilian population.

It is extremely difficult for security forces to combat the insurgents, who infiltrate villages and communities and live among the civilian population. Although recent tactical changes by the security forces to try to distinguish insurgents from innocent civilians have succeeded to a certain extent, with the arrest of a large number of suspected insurgents and their collaborators, this is unlikely to produce a quick fix. Such tactics will not stop the insurgents' ability to conduct their guerrilla campaign against the military and police.

The insurgents simply move from one community to the next, and lie low while plotting new attacks against the security forces or civilians, particularly those who disagree with their separatist ideology or perverted views of Islam. Those who cooperate with the authorities' attempts to restore peace and stability in the region are also in grave danger. The insurgents continue to be able to intimidate the civilian population with their brutality because the security forces have invariably failed to protect the people.

It remains to be seen whether the government will be able to bring about a sense of normalcy and to reassure people in the South that it is safe to turn out to cast their ballot on election day. A free and fair election is only possible when people are free from fear. That's why the government must spare no effort to suppress the insurgency and achieve a semblance of law and order between now and polling day.

Getting as many people as possible to understand how democracy works - and especially how they can make it work for them - is particularly important in the deep South. Too many Thais of Malay descent in the region continue to feel they have been short-changed by a political system that seems to work against them instead of for them.

It may be true that until recently the region had been neglected or even been discriminated against by successive governments. Previous administrations were perhaps insensitive to the special needs of Muslim southerners, who place importance on the preservation of their Malay identity and tend to resist attempts to encourage them to assimilate into mainstream Thai society. As a result, the region has, over the decades, fallen far behind the rest of the country in terms of economic and social development. Quality of life, a fair share of the national wealth, economic prospects and other opportunities have all been lacking.

Any strategy the government employs to restore peace in the deep South must be implemented in conjunction with a campaign to increase political awareness, so as to enable members of local Muslim communities to participate more actively in the democratic process.

Muslim politicians, who are supposed to have first-hand knowledge of the problems in their communities - and who have the power and ability to help bridge the gap between the people they represent and the rest of society - have not only failed to raise the standard of living of southern Muslims but have also turned in a dismal performance in enhancing understanding between their communities and the rest of the Kingdom.

The fact that politicians representing southern Muslims have consistently failed their people is the reason why people in the region need to be more engaged in politics.

The Nation