Kra I.

This is coolbert:

Good article in the Chicago Tribune today about the simmering conflict occurring right now in Thailand. An at present "low-intensity" conflict occurring in the Isthmus of Kra. That narrow strip of land that connects the Malay peninsula to the rest of Asia.

The Thai portion [Burma also controls a slice of the isthmus.] of the isthmus was annexed about one hundred years ago. Annexed from a Muslim Sultan. An area that is predominantly Muslim [85 %]. That other 15 % of the population is of course Thai Buddhist.

For about two years now, an escalating but still low-intensity conflict has been brewing in the four southern most provinces of the Thai Kingdom. The target of the conflict is that small Buddhist minority [15 % of the populace]. Victims of violence at the hands of Muslim guerrillas/terrorists.

A series of assassinations, beheadings, intimidation, bombings and burnings, the general strike, have all contributed to a slow but deteriorating situation.

From the Tribune article:

"Killings divide Thailand's south."

"A low-level Islamic insurgency turns village against village one bullet at a time."

"a low-level Islamic insurgency has claimed nearly 1,700 lives since 2004."

"Most government schools were shut down recently . . . a reaction to an insurgent campaign of burnings and attacks on teachers."

"A mysterious group put of fliers . . . warning Muslims not to work, open their shops, or go to the bank or hospital for ten days."

"In this insurgency, there has never been a spectacular attack."

[a spectacular attack is not needed or even wanted. What they have now is working!!]

"Almost every day, a teacher or government worker is shot dead, a small bomb explodes . . . Buddhist and Muslim government workers have been killed."

"Nails were scattered on the road and village rubber trees were cut down. A Saikaew Buddhist . . . was beheaded."

[Saikaew is a Buddhist village. Evidently the "predominantly" Muslim southern Thai provinces are segregated [by choice] according to religion. This violence is all one way, directed against the Buddhists.]

"in October 2005, a husband and wife from Saikaew were shot on their way to work tapping rubber trees near Jaroh. They lived, but neither will return to the plantation."

"People from Saikaew started to avoid Jaroh."

[Jaroh is the Muslim village closest to Saikaew!!]

Well, it is obvious what is happening here. The Muslims are out to "cleanse" the area of the Buddhists. Using intimidation to do so. This is the formula that has worked in Kashmir. About 100,000 [!!??] Kashmiri Hindu Pandits were forced to flee Kashmir as a result of Muslim violence directed against them.

[Buddhists and Hindus are especially vulnerable to violence from the Muslims. Muslims consider the two former groups as poly-theists and without any protection under Islamic law. Also, by virtue of their basic nature, both Buddhist and Hindu are relatively non-violent people. NOT groups prone to react with counter-violence as a result threats and intimidation.

[this Tribune article seems to suggest that prior to hostilities becoming what they are now, the two villages of Saikaew and Jaroh lived in relative harmony. I always hear this common refrain when these types of "conflicts" occur. "We all lived in peace until recently, and got along just fine, never had a problem!!" Well, something has gone amiss, has it not!!??]

This type of low-intensity conflict does NOT require much to succeed. All you need to prevail is willing "fighters" [I use the term fighter here loosely], hatchets, swords or machetes, matches, handguns, crude homemade explosives, leaflets, nails, etc.

Those Buddhists of the Isthmus of Kra are in a dangerous and unenviable position. I do not see much good in store for them. That Thai government is going to have to be determined if they hope to suppress this revolt. Sadly, from what I read, I do not sense the degree of resolve that is needed.

coolbert.