<資料・研究ノート>タイ南部国境県問題とマレー・ムスリム統合政策

Abstract

The Malay-Muslims in Thailand are concentrated in four provinces bordering on Malaysia, the mother country of their cultural, religious, and ethnic sentiments. For this reason, they have a closer identity with the Malay-speaking people in Malaysia than with Thais, and for many years they have been frustrated with Thai rule. Their discontent has appeared in various forms throughout history : for instance, as rebellions and protests in former times, and as extreme separatist activities in recent years. The problems in the southern border provinces stem not only from these factors, however, but from other, more complicated factors operating in the area. This paper examines some of those factors that are intricately related with the political, economic and external background to the problems, by analyzing the government's integration policy toward the Malay-Muslims and the problems associated with it. There are four major points in the government's integration efforts : the improvement of the regional administrative system and process; the protection and control of religion; the reorganization of traditional education and the promotion of linguistic education; and economic development. In official eyes, these programs have been going forward successfully, particularly in the past decade. Some Muslim leaders, however, feel that no progress has been made with the problems of political and economic inequality at various levels and of the penetration of the government into religious and cultural affairs; and they consider that they need some form of political autonomy to solve these problems.