Images from the Deep South are often grim. While that's usually the reality of the region, sometimes the bad news dominates the headlines so much that it overshadows everything else.
In a bid to redress the balance, a collective of photographers, Fotounited (Saha-Parb), in association with the Ministry of Culture, has launched "A Deep South Journey" exhibition at Museum Siam to display photographs that document the diverse lifestyle and culture of the people living along the southern borders of Thailand — namely the provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani.
While the violence continues to rage — including last week's killings of monks in Sai Buri district — the human story in these pictures should give a more balanced report from the Deep South.
Starting with an armed robbery in January of 2004, the situation has escalated in subsequent years, with over 6,000 casualties among the civilians, both Muslim and Buddhist, as well as law-enforcement and military personnel.
"Most of the events designed to draw attention to the issues facing the South of Thailand have been very well received," says Chiranan Pitpreecha, president of the Fotounited group.
"There seems to be a large group of 'bad-news enthusiasts' in our society today who are ready to consume and spread negative messages and stories about the South through social media; news of people leading safe, productive lives don't sell as much as stories about people getting their legs blown off.
"By displaying photos of the daily lives of the locals in the region, Fotounited aims to dispel the negative preconceptions many people still have towards the South, showing them the various facets and dimensions of life present in the region."
Fotounited is a group of photographers who organise visits to various provinces to document the diversity of Thai life. Everywhere, they ask local photographers — who usually have less opportunity to exhibit — to join them in order to ensure the perspective of the local. For "A Deep South Journey", the group were joined by over 10 photographers from Pattani and five from Yala.
"The local photographers were very active in joining us," said Chiranan. "They don't have much exposure and they enjoy the opportunity for their pictures to be shown to the wider audience."
Many of the photos shown at Museum Siam are familiar images of the southern region: hand-painted kolae boats, the coexistence between Buddhists and Muslims, the seascape, the bird-singing competition. Still, the fine aesthetics of the pictures evoke a sense of intimacy and human dimension that counters the weekly news of violence.
"Our photographers couldn't wait to volunteer to go," said Kriangkrai Waiyakij of Fotounited. "We ended up having to limit the number of people going to fit a single bus, so in the end, only around 10 of us got to head down South."
Ekarin Ekachareeyawongse, one of Fotounited's best-known photographers, shared his experiences of his trip.
"We decided early that the safest course of action was to forego any escort arranged by local authorities, so as to not draw any unwanted attention to ourselves. It turned out to be a wonderful trip. We did not run into any trouble throughout the six days we spent in the area," said Kriangkrai.
"Usually, our photo exhibitions consist of around a hundred photos. This time, we knew in advance that this wouldn't be enough, so we stretched the limit out to 110 photos. And that's still not enough to do the project justice, if you ask me."
Sa-Pan Koi 100 Pee, by Ratchata Hayeemamu.
