I’ve seen a number of articles and reports from southern Thailand over the last year about the violence and brutality of the ongoing Islamist insurrection. There are even ghastly close-up photos online of people who have been hacked with machetes and beheaded while riding bikes or walking home from school.
But as you might expect, the real story is more complicated than the media representation:
Rumors circulate among local residents of government hit squads and disgruntled Buddhists and Muslims that rove as heavily armed vigilante groups – sometimes with tacit backing from local security forces. To complicate matters further, criminal gangs often stage violent acts to appear as militant attacks in order to mislead investigating authorities. The family members of victims of violence also often pressure authorities to attribute their deaths as insurgency-related so that they can receive government compensation.
Lieutenant General Pichet Wisaijorn, the commander of security forces in the South, told Asia Times Online in November that 74% of the violence in the region is related to criminal activity. This assessment is disputed by many independent observers, who estimate loosely that the percentage is likely closer to 50%. Whatever the percentage, it is clear that the insurgency is being used as a cover for criminal violence.
Reminds me of the sage observations of former war correspondent Chris Hedges:
The moral scum of any society rises to the surface in war. Those who have a penchant for violence and an access to weapons dominate the landscape.
