Returning the real cannons would be more worthy

Anywhere else in Thailand, it probably would not be an issue. But given the historical sentiment between the Malays of Patani and the Siam/Thai state, building a replica of the Phaya Tani cannons and putting it in front of the historic Krue Se mosque in Pattani, is an act that will definitely arouse ill feelings. Local Muslim residents see the site as national heritage and the replica as a symbol of their defeat and subsequent colonisation by the Thai state.

A few days ago, somebody blew up the Phaya Thani replica. Given the fact that the Malay-speaking region and the state have yet to overcome their historical animosity, it is understandable why some people might get some sense of satisfaction from the damage inflicted on the fake cannon.

Thai people may have thought they were demonstrating how understanding they could be by creating the replica and putting it in front of a historic mosque. But officials often mistake good intention for good policy. For the local Muslims, the cannons were war booty. 

Today, Patani is no longer a vassal state. The Malay-speaking provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat are an integral part of the country – like Chiang Mai or Ubon. At least that’s what we tell ourselves. But if we believe our own words, then we should not have any qualms about returning the two cannons – the real ones that currently sit in front of the Defence Ministry – to the deep South.

But the national mindset and common attitude continues to be that the region is an ungrateful member of the state.

However, we should not feel a sense of loss or humiliation, if we were to return the real canons to the deep South. 

In fact, if we did return the cannons to the region, then it would demonstrate how Thailand has come to terms with the past. If anything it would be a gesture of goodwill, a readiness from the Thai side to reshape their mindset and attitude towards the deep South. 

Thai leaders have often accused Malays in the deep South of stubbornly holding on to the past. But the state has done little and given few reasons why a shared destiny with the rest of the Thai nation is important for them. 

In some ways, the region looks and feels like an occupied territory. Most of the bureaucrats are Buddhists from other parts of the country. And with tens of thousands of armed soldiers stationed in the restive region where an ongoing wave of insurgency claimed more than 5,000 lives, such perception is reinforced on a daily basis. 

A few years back two young men from a tour company in Narathiwat rented a taxi in Bangkok for an entire day to check out possible tourist sites for people who might want to visit capital city. Among the stops was the Defence Ministry. 

At the end of the day the cabby thought the two were up to something and turned them over to the police. They were detained and interrogated for four days before the authorities realised that the two young men were just tour operators.

Around the same time, at the beginning of this wave of the insurgency, the army was taking young (vulnerable) men from the deep South on trips to various parts of the country, where they were told that these historical sites and ancient temples “are yours, too!”

But none of these trips ever included a stop at the Phaya Thani cannons. What would we tell these kids if they had done so? “This used to be yours but not anymore. Learn to live with it, buddy – you are a defeated people.”