A mock referendum campaign by a group of Muslim students in the deep South on separatism has triggered panic across the kingdom. The move is highly sensitive and risks breaching Section 1 of the charter which says that Thailand is an indivisible kingdom.
Despite the sensitivity of the case, national security bodies must tread carefully and refrain from using stiff legal penalties. The last thing society wants to see is overwrought nationalism and rigid law enforcement disrupting the peace process in the deep South and marginalising people with different points of view.
The campaign took place on June 7 at a political seminar titled "Self-Determination and Patani Peace" at Prince of Songkla University in Pattani. Students handed out mock referendum ballots to around 100 attendants so they could vote on whether local people should have the right to hold a referendum for a "Patani State" or the separation of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and four districts in Songkhla from Thailand.
Viral images irked netizens and sparked fears the call could lead to more disunity in the already restive southern provinces, which have been marred by violence and sabotage for two decades. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha even came out to ask the security bodies to inspect the activities and trace political parties that might be behind this campaign. Later, Pelajar Bangsa, the youth group behind the seminar, told the media that the referendum was just a simulation and that they did not plan to break the law or launch a separatist campaign.
Security bodies, mainly Internal Security Operation Command (Isoc) Region 4, deserve praise for swiftly looking into this matter. Two parties, the Fair Party and the Prachachart Party, will be probed after they were invited to participate in the forum.
Granting autonomy and decentralisation are two populist campaigns which parties have used to win voters in the southern provinces. But politicians must be warned to act responsibly before doling out such populist campaigns. That said, any probes must be fair and free from a political agenda.
The government must also bear in mind that the campaign is being waged academically. So it must refrain from harsh punitive measures and focus on creating understanding and seeking cooperation.
So far, Isoc and the local government are only sending warning messages. Muslim governor Pateemoh Sadeeyamu also deserves a pat on the back for clarifying how she will deal with this delicate matter. She said that while national security focuses on the law, she will focus on building bridges and creating understanding. She said: "We will not drive these students away or alienate them."
Pelajar Bangsa (National Students) is believed to be the latest incarnation of the Federation of Patani Students and Youth (Permas), which was disbanded in November 2021. The group has campaigned for greater self-determination to respect the culture, customs, dialect and history of the southern provinces. Their campaign reflects the need for local people to have more of a say in local governance and reject those policies that disregard their cultural identity.
The government must work harder to win the hearts of these students and find a balance between imposing policies from the central government and decentralising some administrative power to local bodies. The mock referendum may cause nationalists sleepless nights, but it is a warning sign that tough measures might not be the way to create peace in the far South.