On March 22, 2024, the southern Thai provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, and Songkhla were hit by a series of arson attacks, targeting numerous shops, cars, utility poles, and public and private buildings. These were carried out by suspected separatist groups throughout different locations, resulting in severe damage and even the casualty of a female contract worker from Malaysia.

The events have caused much chaos in the area. Colonel Eakvarit Chobchoophol, Spokesperson for the military’s Internal Security Operations Command for the Southern Region, told Reuters that “the perpetrators [of the raids] wanted to disrupt the peace during Ramadan.” The Government Deputy Spokeswoman Rudklao Suwankiri, talking to the Bangkok Post, added that “one of the motives behind the attacks may be the insurgents’ desire to show their disagreement with the peace negotiations” between the Thai government and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) group, which have resumed since February 2024, after a halt due to the change of administration in the country last May.

Southern Thailand, an area bordering Malaysia, has been plagued by tensions for decades, ever since the former independent Malay sultanate of Patani was annexed to Thailand in 1909. The insurgent groups seeking independence for the predominantly Muslim and ethnically Malay southern provinces from the majority Buddhist population of the country have long fought against the Thai government. The most violent outbreaks have occurred since 2004, when 78 suspected rebels suffocated to death while being transported inside crowded Thai military trucks from the town of Tak Bai, near the Malaysian border, to a Thai military camp in the province of Pattani – the so-called Tak Bai incident. Since then, according to the reports of Deep South Watch, a local think-tank that monitors the violence in the region, more than 7,540 people have been killed, and over 14,000 have been injured.

The latest series of coordinated attacks, comprising a daunting number of 44 reported incidents across the four provinces in the span of one hour, stands as one of the biggest and most violent rebel outbursts in recent years. The goal of these assaults is clear: to bring fear and instability to the region, undermining the fragile peace. Therefore, it is crucial not to let these events hinder the resilience of local communities to stand together and fight for the maintenance of their peaceful livelihoods, alongside the Thai government.

Despite fears of repercussions and a freeze in negotiations following this outbreak of violence, the Thai government has ensured that it will continue to engage in peace talks with the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) group. National Security Council’s Deputy Secretary-general Chatchai Bangchuad, Thailand’s chief negotiator, told the Bangkok Post that the parties will hold, at the end of April, a discussion on the Joint Comprehensive Plan Towards Peace (JCPP), aiming to make more progress through the implementation of the 2022 General principles of the Peace Dialogue Process. This conference will hopefully find a political solution to the conflict.

With the help of the Malaysian government, represented by former Royal Malaysian Army Commander General Tan Sri Zulkifli Zainal Abidin, dialogue between the two sides is set to resume and will hopefully culminate in a non-violent resolution. Dialogue must take into account the concerns of all parties involved, and is the only way for a lasting peace to come about in Thailand’s Deep South.