Local people see situation in deep South as bad as before: survey
Most locals in Thailand’s deep South say violence remains unchanged despite development, according to a recent NIDA poll.
Most local people in the restive three southern border provinces believe that the situation in the deep South remains as bad as before, despite improvements in development, according to an opinion survey.
The survey, conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), found that residents of Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat felt the government had not paid sufficient attention to the violence in the region.
The NIDA Poll surveyed 1,100 residents of the three southern border provinces on 28, 29 and 30 April. All respondents were aged 18 or above.
The survey followed a series of violent attacks by Muslim insurgents. One of the most shocking incidents was an attack on a group of Buddhist monks and novices during the alms-giving ritual on 22 April, which resulted in the death of a novice. On 2 May, insurgents opened fire on the homes of Buddhists in Narathiwat’s Tak Bai district, killing three people, including a nine-year-old girl, and also killed a blind elderly woman in Narathiwat’s Chanae district.
When asked how they perceived the situation in the deep South over the past two decades, respondents answered:
- 33.45%: As bad as before
- 20.36%: As good as before
- 18.55%: Rather improved
- 14.64%: Rather deteriorated
- 10.00%: Deteriorated a lot
- 3.00%: Improved a lot
When asked about development in the three southern border provinces over the past two decades, respondents replied:
- 42.18%: Rather improved
- 37.45%: Rather no development
- 14.55%: No development at all
- 5.82%: A lot of development has taken place
Asked about the government’s attention to the issue of southern violence, respondents said:
- 42.36%: Not paying much attention
- 31.82%: Not paying attention at all
- 18.82%: Rather paying attention
- 5.91%: Paying a lot of attention
- 1.09%: No comment
Asked about the relationship between government officials and local people over the past two decades, the responses were:
- 33.55%: As good as before
- 30.64%: Rather better
- 19.91%: As bad as before
- 7.09%: Rather worse
- 5.64%: Improved a lot
- 3.00%: Deteriorated badly
- 0.17%: No comment
When asked whether they would base their voting decision in the next election on political parties’ stance on southern violence, respondents answered:
- 47.55%: A lot
- 27.36%: Rather giving weight to it
- 15.55%: Rather not giving weight to it
- 9.18%: Not at all
- 0.36%: No comment
