Working in progress: Thailand: The Burning South

A long-dormant separatist insurgency re-emerged in Thailand's southernmost provinces in early 2004. Daily shootings and bomb attacks have already claimed over 2,600 lives, mostly civilians, and there is no end in sight. The government's ability to respond has been hamstrung by poor intelligence, bitter inter-agency rivalries, and a legacy of mistrust and mutual suspicion between the government and the community.

The national political crisis has also distracted attention from the serious security threat in the south. There is widespread concern in the region that left unchecked, the unrest in the largely Muslim Malay provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat could turn into a mass-based insurgency, or even a regional jihad, although to date there is no evidence of any external involvement in violence.

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