Why should southern people trust the govt?

But when dealing with all people – including southerners – we should practise the golden rule and treat others as we would like them to treat us, a tenet that also appears in Buddhism and Islam. What value are we placing on southern lives when the Thaksin and Democrat governments alike insist on renewing the Emergency Decree, when it’s been successfully used to justify the killings at Krue Se (32 bodies), Tak Bai (73 bodies) and Nong Chick (four bodies)? Why didn’t General Prayuth or the prime minister denounce and court martial the generals in charge of those killings? Do southerners believe that they can trust the military with their lives, and so be willing to turn informer against the terrorists?

Until we treat southerners as we expect to be treated ourselves, they have little reason to support the government.

Burin Kantabutra

Bangkok