Srisompob Jitpiromsri
Deep South Watch
March 31, 2011
That violence has brought about 12,126 victims within 7 years inevitably makes Thailand’s southernmost region one of the hotspot, most sensitive areas in the world.
Monthly statistics of violence during January 2004 to February 1011 have shown that there were 10,660 incidents of violence. Since 2007, the decreasing level of violence is noteworthy, but exceedingly fluctuated patterns of violence situation are also evident in recent months after that year. The conspicuous amount of violence could be seen in June and September of last year (2010). Nevertheless, by the beginning of 2011, the insurgency-related violence climbed up again. The higher level of violent incidence implies that the 2011 may be another year of living dangerously in Southern border provinces of Thailand and might be considered a decisive year of Southern insurgency, if the upper trend of violence continues to hold.
It is also noteworthy that level of monthly casualties still has been oscillated over years regardless the significantly lesser amount of violent incidents since 2007. Moreover, the trend of monthly casualties appears to be steeply upward starting from November of 2010 until February of 2011. The insurgent violence constitutes the numbers of shootings, bombs, and raids at the military camps.
As a consequence, during 86 months beginning from January 2004 to February 2011, there were 10,660 incidents of violence, which have led to considerably soaring records of casualties, 4,631 fatalities and 7,505 injuries. The majority of death tolls were Muslims and, on the contrary, most of the injuries constitute the Buddhist civilians. That violence has brought about 12,126 victims within 7 years makes Thailand’s southernmost region one of the hotspot, most sensitive areas in the world.
