Civil Unrest in Southern Thailand: Roles and Challenges of Malaysia By Rear Admiral Syed Zahrul Putra Royal Malaysian Navy Student of the National Defence College The National Defence Course: Class 60 Academic Year 2017 - 2018 i Abstract Title: Civil Unrest in Southern Thailand: Roles and Challenges of Malaysia Field: Strategy Name: Radm Syed Zahrul Putra RMN Course: NDC Class 60 Series of violence in Southern Thailand resurgence in late 2001 and eventually escalated dramatically in 2004. Many scholars regarded this conflict entailed from the manifestation of deep resentment of the people in the southern provinces towards the central government especially with regards to the historical factor, culture, leadership style and economic deprivation. Being an immediate neighbour, Malaysia in an absolute sense, is affected physically in this situations. The Southern Thailand is experiencing a situation where there is neither total nor civil war. But the “tone” of having some kind of conflict and unrest in these provinces is clearly evident. Malaysia has significantly played several roles in assisting to restore peace and stability in Southern Thailand provinces. One of the examples is the establishment of General Border Committee (GBC) between Thailand and Malaysia with the primary objective of GBC is to enhance the security and stability in the border areas. It has helped bridging differences, building contacts and facilitating communication between the two countries. Additionally, leaders from both sides maintain close ties through regular official and non-official visits in various forums. The Malaysian government has viewed the conflict in the Southern Thailand seriously. The geographical proximity between the two countries placed Malaysia within the parameters of what is essentially as Thai internal problem. ii The establishment of various bilateral initiatives focusing in the southern region of Thailand and northern Malaysia indicates that the situation in the southern Thailand is of priority in Malaysia's strategic interests. A vast majority of the actions and initiatives promulgated were precautionary measures indicating that safeguarding Malaysia's national security and preventing the conflict from spreading into the Malaysian territory is the ultimate goal. Both Malaysian and Thailand leaders claimed that their bilateral relations at all time high because of the friendship and trust factors. However, the conflict in the Southern Thailand remained problematic. Tension between the two countries continued to build for many years. Thailand regards the conflict in the south as a purely internal matter. Malaysia fears that the instability there could spill across the border. Although the relationship between Thailand and Malaysia sometime seems to be problematic, however, both respective Armed Forces and Police have shown very professional and harmonic friendship. The Southern Border Provinces Admiration and Development Policy 2017 – 2019 orders that have been promulgated by the Office of Thailand National Security Council need to be implemented and strictly adhered to by all parties involved. Malaysia on the other hand can play a role in assisting the goverment of Thailand to support those policies. Apart from that, all the existing bilateral agreements between Malaysia and Thailand requires further strengthen and adjustment as well as to be implemented according to what it has been agreed upon. iii Preface Prosper-thy-neighbour policies is simply means that if you assist your neighbour to prosper, in an absolute sense, you will prosper along with it. When countries are prosperous, they become more stable and their people need not immigrate to your country. Instead, their prosperity provides you with a market for your goods, with opportunities to invest and to enrich yourself. On contrary, problematic neighbours are source of the problems for everyone surrounding it. A geographical land and maritime border predisposes bordering countries to work together in ensuring that the border areas remain safe and secure for the people on both sides. It goes without saying that what happens on one side, particularly with regard to the security related issues, it will affect the other. Some of the spillover effect has given a negative impacts upon the security of the neighbouring countries particularly due to the geographical, ethnic, linguistic and religious proximities and affinities that people in the border areas on both sides share. The study is expected to contribute to the understanding of the effect of the restive Southern Thailand on Malaysia-Thailand security related issues. The nature of the conflict and the players in the Southern Thailand makes it essential for Malaysia to tread carefully. Malaysia needs to posture in assisting to resolve the issues without appearing to be iv meddling in the internal problems of Thailand as what is known as ASEAN WAY. It is hoped that this study would provide an understanding of the problem as well as state behavior with regards to Malaysian and Thailand security relations and finally promoting options of way ahead in order to maintain peace and stability in the Southern Thailand. …………………………………….. (Rear Admiral Syed Zahrul Putra) Student of the National Defence College Course: NDC Class: 60 Researcher 1 Chapter 1 Introduction Background Series of violence in Southern Thailand resurgence in late 2001 and eventually escalated dramatically in 2004. Being an immediate neighbour, Malaysia in an absolute sense, is affected physically in this situations. The Southern Thailand is experiencing a situation where there is neither total nor civil war. But the “tone” of having some kind of conflict and unrest in these provinces is clearly evident. It is imperative not to view the civil unrest as primarily about radical Islamism or indeed as an essentially religious conflict. Some even claimed that the insurgency is based on historic causes including a 200 year occupation, the 1960s resettlement of the Northeastern Thais into the region, Thai cultural and economic imperialism in Pattani which includes allegations of police brutality, criminal activity, disrespect of Islam, the presence of culturally insensitive businesses such as bars, drug trafficking and corruption. There were further claims that drug trafficking is one source of insurgent money.1 However, these series of unlawful activities that have created unrest or conflict can just be called restive, instead of civil war, conflict or insurgency. In 2002, Thaksin Shinawatra stated, "There's no separatism, no ideological terrorists, just common bandits."2 However in 2004, he reversed his statement and regarded the issue as a local front in the global War on Terrorism. 1 Brain Mc Carton and Shawn W Crispin, “An Atol Investigation, Southern Test for New Thai Leader”,http//www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/JL 2 Aeo2.html (4 December 2017) 2Thai districts impose martial law. BBC News. 3 November 2005 (4 December 2017) 2 Malaysia has significantly played several roles in assisting to restore peace and stability in Southern Thai provinces. One of the examples is the establishment of General Border Committee (GBC) between Thailand and Malaysia with the primary objective of GBC is to enhance the security and stability in the border areas. This is achieved by introduced the cross-border cooperation with the main aimed of finding resolutions of common problems, development and promotion of matters of mutual interest in the border areas. The GBC meets once a year alternately in Malaysia and Thailand to discuss security and related problems in the affected areas. It has helped bridging differences, building contacts and facilitating communication between the two countries. Additionally, leaders from both sides maintain close ties through regular official and non-official visits in various forums. This study examines the civil unrest situation in Southern Thailand and studies the roles and challenges of Malaysia in assisting to restore peace and stability within the affected surrounding regions. For the purpose of this study, the affected surrounding regions is defined as an area within certain provinces in southern part of Thailand ie Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat as well as northern part of Malaysia Peninsula which is geographically having a land border with some of those provinces. Problem and the Significance of the Study Malaysia and Thailand relations are multifaceted; covering bilateral, political, economic and security issues. A geographical land border predisposes both countries to work together in ensuring that the border areas remain safe and secure for the people on both sides. It goes without saying that what happens on one side, particularly with regard to 3 the security related issues, it will affect the other. The reality that the Southern Thailand is restive and prone to conflict impacts upon the security of Malaysia. This is particularly due to the geographical, ethnic, linguistic and religious proximities and affinities that people in the border areas on both sides share. From the Malaysian perspective, there is a need to study the restive and violent prone situation in the Southern Thailand. There is a further need to study how that will affect Malaysia, its security relations with Thailand, and assess the roles and challenges of Malaysia in assisting to restore peace and stability within the surrounding regions. The study is expected to contribute to the understanding of the effect of the restive Southern Thailand on Malaysia-Thailand