Thai Provinces Down South Slowly Emerging From Conflict

By Mohd Haikal Isa Since year 2000, thousands have ended up victims to the armed conflict in the four Muslim provinces of south Thailand - Pattani, Narathiwat, Yala and Songkhla. Bernama attempts to learn of the feelings on the ground and the efforts taken to bring peace to the restive southern provinces. This is the last of the five series, delving on the situation in some parts of the south based on the writer's observation as bombings and shootings continue. PATTANI, Sept 17 (Bernama) -- In getting to know the Thai conflict down south, there is nothing better than going down to the ground to see for oneself on what is going on there now. This is what exactly this writer did with a local colleague in July, traveling the length and breadth of the three southern most provinces of Thailand - Pattani, Narathiwat, and Yala. Surprisingly, here, there is hardly any bombed building or deserted street like often seen in war torn areas. Those passing by will be greeted by the placid landscape and friendly locals. Except that when one passes certain stretches, one is reminded of the 'deadly routes' where one can be ambushed or bombed by armed men. On Aug 24, a bomb went off close to a hotel in Pattani killing a person and injuring at least 30 people. On Sept 3, a railway worker as killed and three others wounded after bombs hidden under railway tracks in Pattani went off. No one knows where and when the next attack will be. DIFFERENT STORY IN BORDER TOWNS Though there is no guarantee of safety and security in the aforementioned provinces, the towns on the Thai side close to the Malaysian border tell a different story. This writer who went to the town of Danok with a local reporter Tuwaedaniya Meringging was amazed to see the hive of activities and the development there. New hotels were seen mushrooming, along with entertainment outlets and theme parks. Danok, once a cowboy town, is now competing with Hatyai to draw visitors from Malaysia. The rapid pace of development in Danok eclipsed the development on the Malaysian side in Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah. Danok's rise is also attributed to the rising cross border trade. Day in day out Thai container lorries form long lines along the Thai-Janglon Road in Danok waiting to enter Malaysia through Bukit Kayu Hitam. "However, it is the entertainment industry that draws Malaysians to Danok. Without Malaysian visitors, Danok's massage parlours, entertainment outlets and even textile outlets will have to close shop," said a local. The money from Malaysian visitors is the one driving Danok's economy, the local added. However, traveling further it is obvious there is not much of economic development except in towns. THE AWAITING DANGERS The journey from Danok to Pattani takes two hours, and passes through small quintessential towns like Sadao before arriving in Natawe, where a court and a major provincial prison is located. Several minutes after passing Natawe, one gets an eerie feel. Travelers have to pass a security post and the signs are clear that one is entering a dangerous area. "The Hatyai-Pattani-Yala federal route or 'Route 42' that we were passing is dubbed as 'death road' by the locals not because of high number of accidents but because of the ambush and bombings," said Tuwedaniya or "Tuwe" as he is called. The place is vulnerable due geographical factors, hills, jungles and the rubber trees on both sides of the road provide cover for attackers. Several "Mine Resistant Ambush Protected" (MRAP) vehicles that could withstand improvised explosive devices belonging to the Thai army passed our car at high speed, another indication of the place's vulnerability. Tuwe also pointed out to a medium sized pothole on the road, covered with latterite, that was caused by a bomb targeted on a army vehicle about two weeks ago. KAMPUNG BANG KHAO We continued our journey to Kampung Bang Khao (Bang Khao is equivalent to the Malay term 'bakau' (mangrove) here), in Nongchik about 10km from Pattani town. The whole area is a hotbed for militant activities. We were informed that just two hours earlier there was an ambush on a government official's car but fortunately there was no loss of life. The Fourth Army's Spokesman Col Pramoth-Proming noted that the particular stretch of road in Nongchik is vulnerable to attacks as it runs close to the coast and the mangrove forest. "This gives the militants an easy route to escape after an ambush," he said adding that earlier this year the security forces discovered a big bomb making lab in the mangrove forest. DANGER LURKING EVERYWHERE In Pattani we put up at the C.S Pattani Hotel, an international hotel that hosts many of the official functions and the one that so far has witnessed two car bomb explosions, in 2008 and 2012 respectively. Hence, it is not surprising to see tight security here. The front has been walled up and the cars entering the hotel compound are thoroughly examined. According to Tuwe, his home is located about 100 meters away from the hotel and the whole family felt the impact of the bomb in the 2008 explosion. "Our two-storey terrace house shook violently when the car bomb went off, with sand and debris landing on our roof," he said adding that in the 2008 incident two people were killed and 14 injured. During the night, we dined at a row of shops along the Pattani River that cuts across the town while enjoying the panoramic view of the river. SAMILAE LURES VISITORS After a meal of white rice, Tomyam and fried egg, we walked around the town to observe the nightlife in Pattani. Though the town is heavily guarded by armed security personnel at every corner, the locals were out with their families enjoying dinner at the numerous eateries in town. On the second day in Pattani town, we headed to Pantai Samilae (Samilae is equivalent to the Malay term Sembilan (nine) here) in Panare, with its white sandy beach and vast blue sea providing an unforgettable view. The beach is the latest attraction in Pattani, with lines of chalets, guest houses and eateries along the beach waiting for visitors. We enjoyed the 'roti canai' (a type of Indian-influenced flatbread found in Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore) with sweetened condensed milk for breakfast before heading to Yala located a 40-minute drive from Pattani. COLOURFUL WALLS IN YALA On the way to Yala we took the Pattani-Yala road, another "death road" where shootings and bomb attacks occur regularly. Fortunately, we had a plain sailing journey. However, we did notice there were signboards warning people not to leave their motorcycles or cars on the roadside as previously these parked vehicles were detonated when the target passed by. As we arrived in Yala, we were greeted by the sight of waist high concrete walls decorated with mural at the town's commercial centre. These walls actually serve as bomb barriers, said Tuwe adding that the mural was added later to beautify the city. BOMB SCANNER IN SUNGAI GOLOK After talking to Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre's (SBPAC) Secretary General Panu Uthairat at his official residence in Yala, we moved on to Narathiwat. In Narathiwat, our car had to pass through a scanner used to detect explosives in vehicles before we were allowed to enter the town. After staying at Hotel Genting overnight we proceeded to Sungai Golok, pronounced here as Sungai Kolok, to see how the narrow river splits Narathiwat with Rantau Panjang in Kelantan. It is a favourite route for smugglers. The tight security at the Malaysian side along the river has made life difficult for sampan and motorcycle taxi operators in Sungai Golok as the people heading to the Thai side had dwindled. From Sungai Golok, we headed to Narathiwat before going to Hatyai, ending our five day four night sojourn in the southern most provinces of Thailand. -- BERNAMA