Cornered – If the MP shooting case stalls, can southern unrest really be extinguished?

The Anupong Paochinda government has established a major committee to address the situation in the three southern border provinces and appointed a new peace negotiator to engage with insurgent groups in an effort to quell unrest in the South. The government's attention to the southern border crisis is commendable, as the prolonged conflict has caused immense suffering to lower-ranking military and police personnel, civilians, and resulted in significant loss of public and private property. However, one must question what perspective and understanding the southern unrest committee and peace negotiators truly possess about the three southern provinces. Without clear convictions, resolving the southern crisis will be difficult. Notably, current policy approaches appear deeply concerning, as evidenced by Region 4 Commander Lt. Gen. Nartip Phoynaok's statements following the shooting attack on Narathiwat MP Kamlashak Leewamueha of the Palang Prachachon Party. The military commander's stance on the southern problem appears outdated and reactionary. Security operations in the southern border region display a tone that breeds hatred and division, suggesting the current approach to southern unrest is military-dominated and hawkish in nature. Historical lessons clearly demonstrate that cracking down harder on insurgents only causes them to grow stronger. Yet the current approach brazenly seeks to eliminate BRN (Barisan Revolusi Nasional) entirely. The critical question is: where is BRN based? Where is their headquarters? The answer is: nowhere. So how can military campaigns be launched against them? The conclusion is that anyone proposing to eradicate BRN lacks genuine understanding of the southern border situation. The reality is that insurgents are not foreign terrorists but passionate Thai nationals. The key to success lies in establishing genuine justice and credible judicial processes that earn community support for the government. Consider the case of the MP shooting: the MP in question was elected by local residents and is a respected human rights lawyer defending villagers accused under security charges. If the case results in only seven arrests without reaching the masterminds, it alone undermines community confidence in the government—it demonstrates a complete absence of justice. By Wongthawan