Southern insight

I am far from an expert on the situation in southern Thailand. All the more reason for me to read Duncan McCargo’s edited volume on Rethinking Thailand’s Southern Violence. This is an exceptionally useful account of the recent violence in the South and a provocative analysis of its causes and origins. As the cover indicates, Thaksin’s heavy handed management attracts a good deal of attention and some of the statistical evidence about the upsurge in violence under Thaksin’s watch is compelling. I would be very interested to hear the views of others who have read the book. New Mandala has been rather light on in its coverage of Thailand’s southern tragedy, and it would be nice to start to redress the imbalance.