The relatively calm Ramadan in the restive deep South reminds us that peaceful dialogue, not arm-twisting or fighting battles, is the real recipe for ending conflicts.
The mostly untroubled atmosphere during the holy month for Muslims is credited to the latest peace negotiations between Thai authorities and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional Melayu Patani (BRN), an Islamist independence movement.
The talks resulted in the ceasefire agreement in the three provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat from April 2 to May 1.
Apart from the truce, the Internal Security Operation Command Region 4 also showed a sign of good faith by not arresting Muslim insurgents who returned to Thailand to attend religious activities during Ramadan.
Notwithstanding a bomb attack on April 15 in Pattani's Sai Buri district in which one civilian was killed and three police officers injured, the period has been characterised by calm.
Gen Wallop Raksanoh, leader of the Thai peace talks team, deserves praise for not letting the attack spoil the moment.
While implicating another militant group Pulo, which usually operates under Mara Patani -- an umbrella organisation of Malay-Muslim separatist fronts from southern Thailand -- as responsible for the attack, he made it clear that the Thai side wants to bring other militant groups to the next round of talks, tentatively slated for July.
Hopefully the move proves a game-changer for the three southernmost provinces, which were plunged into an insurgency crisis on Jan 4, 2004 when militants overran the 4th Development Battalion at the Kromluang Narathiwat Ratchanakarin military camp in Narathiwat's Cho Airong district, making off with a large cache of firearms.
The theft preceded a wave of attacks and snowballed into a separatist movement seeking autonomy.
State authorities have resorted to various strategies to campaign against violence, albeit without much success. The situation improved in recent years, especially when the current government announced it would focus on peaceful dialogue and economic development to reclaim peace.
Yet the second part of the equation isn't quite panning out. One glaring example is the Chana industrial park project in adjacent Songkhla. Initiated by the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre (SBPAC), the project has drawn local resistance by failing to include real public participation, bypassing the social and environmental assessment process.
Reports of the developer trying to change the land use plan and the involvement of a government minister's relative in land hoarding have only sown more distrust. Last December, a group of Muslim women and children travelling from Chana to protest in Bangkok were arrested.
The BRN also condemned the government last year for arresting villagers, and criticised the economic development policy for lacking inclusivity.
While the government deserves praise for choosing peace over power, the Chana project is just the tip of the iceberg, underscoring the lack of inclusivity in the deep South which has alienated Muslims and driven a wedge in society.
Peace talks are a good start, but the real path to peace requires understanding and respect for the diversity of the people and culture in the deep South.
Without real understanding and inclusivity, the peace talks will likely prove to be just empty words.
