Thai crackdown on activists ignites fresh tensions in Deep South

Five activists in Thailand’s insurgency-plagued Deep South are facing the heat after hosting a mock referendum on self-determination.

Yesterday, October 3, police charged two activists and three students for organising the event in June last year, sparking renewed debates about free speech in the volatile, heavily militarised border region.

The group, which includes members of The Pattani political movement and the Pelajar Bangsa student group, faces accusations under Article 116 of the Thai Criminal Code. The charges carry a potential seven-year prison sentence for threatening national security. Their “crime”? A mock poll that asked attendees if they supported self-determination for Pattani, a historical region spanning Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, and parts of Songkhla.

“This case involves students’ freedom of expression. Academic spaces should be free.”

Hussain Buenae, one of the charged students, emphasised the event’s academic nature. His co-defendant, Artef Sohko, voiced concerns about a rushed legal process.

“We question whether the entire process has been hastily concluded.”

The backdrop of this controversy is the Deep South’s decades-long separatist conflict, where over 7,500 lives have been lost since 2004, according to Deep South Watch. The region, predominantly Muslim Malay, has seen waves of unrest, with more than 22,200 incidents and 14,000 injuries during that period.

Police, however, appear cautious, labelling the case “delicate.” Police Major General Nitinai Langyanai reassured that the proceedings were following due legal process.

This case has broader implications for Thailand’s peace process with insurgents, which has seen mixed results since its resumption in 2020. Human rights organisations have also expressed concerns about the suppression of free speech in the region, with over 40 activists charged since 2017. The court hearing is set for November 13, leaving activists and observers questioning Thailand’s commitment to civil liberties, reported Benar News.

In related news, political activist Panupong Jadnok aka Mike Rayong facing a lese majeste charge for a defamatory message about His Majesty the King last year, has appeared in New Zealand, where he is expected to seek political asylum and begin a new life.