Politician Urges Rethink of Deep South Strategy Beyond Security
A Prachathai MP argues Thailand's deep south crisis stems from ideological and economic conflicts, not security issues, and urges transforming armed fighters into peacebuilders rather than pursuing military solutions at a Chulalongkorn Univ
At a seminar titled "22 Years of Lessons and the Way Forward: Structural Reform for Peace Respecting Diversity" held at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Political Science on September 11, Peeraphan Korthong, a Prachathai Party list MP, argued that the deep southern border provinces crisis is not fundamentally a security issue but a conflict rooted in differences over ideology, justice, identity, and economics. He emphasized that the current leadership's goal of ending the southern conflict by 2025 represents both the best opportunity and the greatest challenge, and that the situation should not be hastily abandoned.
Korthong stated that the central problem lies with the armed actors, and that a crucial step toward resolution would be transforming gun-wielding fighters on both sides into peacebuilders. He criticized the state's rigid approach of viewing the situation solely through a security lens and relying exclusively on legal measures over the past 22 years, noting that residents describe the situation as "oppression" rather than "peace." He argued that structural problems need reform and expressed concern that the military and authorities misunderstand the political landscape and community networks.
Korthong warned that viewing the other side as an enemy makes resolution difficult and called for changing mindsets to recognize community networks, academics, and political actors based on facts. He suggested that the prime minister must have a clear intention to build peace through justice and that the government needs to create space for those previously divided by conflict—transforming former fighters into peacebuilders—to participate in the process.
