ABSTRACT

This chapter locates Buddhist perspectives and influences on the violence in the conflict area of southern Thailand. Southern Thailand has been the home of a conflict between Malay Muslim separatists and the Thai government (2004–present). The conflict is predominantly political, with economic and environmental factors. However, in addition to these factors religion has played an important role in both sustaining the conflict and elevating the stakes. Most analysts have examined the role of Islam, but this approach provides access to only one side of the conflict. Over 20 percent of the residents in southern Thailand are Buddhist and the Thai government has had a vested interest in supporting Thai Buddhism. In the early years of the conflict, most southern monks became insular. They eschewed their traditional role as community leaders and avoided the wider community and interfaith opportunities. In addition, the Thai government stationed soldiers in Thai Buddhist monasteries and commissioned a covert group of military monks: Thais who clandestinely serve dual roles as both soldier and Buddhist monk. This chapter reviews the methods that made it possible for a researcher to gain access to these Buddhists and gain a better understanding of Buddhism’s impact on the violence.