A major local problem has arisen in the deep South. It is a direct outgrowth of the past 13 years of violence, but the problem is a peaceful one. Some 105 people who fled to Malaysia now wish to return. They are currently stateless, and the army has plans to resettle them under a programme called Pha Khon Klub Ban (Bring People Home). The problem is that the army failed to secure support of residents in the district where the resettlement is to occur. Panare district of Pattani which houses the temporary resettlement site is strongly opposed to this project.
This is hardly rare. The situation of local people disgruntled over having to host an entire national programme even has a slang nomenclature -- "Nimby". This means "not in my back yard". This clearly indicates that whether a person or community favours or opposes a particular project, they do not want to be involved. Usually, this can indicate that the programme involved is onerous or dirty. But in any case, the people saying "Nimby" are stating they do not want to be part of it.
The most high-profile recent cases of Nimby-ism occurred when the government ordered the construction of coal-fired power plants near beaches in Krabi and in Songkhla province. There was national opposition to these outdated, polluting plants.
However, local communities in particular were outraged. Krabi people who distrust planners sitting in their ivory towers imagined their tourist trade evaporating, and the people of Thepha district of Songkhla claimed the right to maintain their clean villages, without any smokestacks.
Other examples of the Nimby phenomenon are common. People of Pathum Thani want no part of a government plan to install a waste-fired power plant. In the same province, people of Ongkharak district, known as a home for ornamental plants and cut flowers, successfully staved off plans to install a new nuclear reactor.
With few exceptions, outrage such as the Pattani problem is caused by the scourge of top-down government. Plans to locate the returning separatists in Panare were poorly outlined by the military regime, and by the 4th Region Army. They were presented to local residents as a "done deal". The army has refused to learn the lesson that bypassing communities is a major cause of opposition to government plans -- even very good plans.
The programme of bringing people back from Malaysia is a positive step. All or almost all of the returnees are hapless victims. For numerous reasons of the recent violent past, most of them became refugees in their own self interest. The efforts of the army and government to encourage their return, including renewing their right to Thai citizenship, represents a supportive step.
The obvious error was to effectively order the people, villages, communists and local leaders of Panare to welcome the move. Just as obviously as the positive sides of returning the exiles is the reluctance of a small and close-knit district to accept more than 100 outsiders in a single step. It should be noted that the army has designated areas in 37 districts in the South for this noteworthy plan.
The army, which is sponsoring the return, now faces a very uncomfortable choice. It can force the returnees to go to Panare district and suffer the slings, arrows and discontent of local people. It can pick another place to send them, shuttling them here and there as if they are refugees in their own country. Or it can change its attitude to seek and discuss possible solutions the problem it has made.
The families who fled to Malaysia must be returned, and because of their existing culture and language, they must be resettled in the deep South.
Apart from that, many solutions are possible. Each of the returnees could be asked to pick his or her preferred destination, for example, and the army could help their return to many communities, instead of one.
In any case, despite the current Nimby attitude in Pattani, this is a problem that can be overcome and solved to everyone's satisfaction.