Religious and Ethnic Conflict in Thailand

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Religious and Ethnic Conflict in Thailand Introduction Waves of violence in Thailand have been present for many years. The conflict resides in the southern part of Thailand, which is home to a large Muslim population. Thailand is primarily composed of individuals practicing Buddhism (approximately 90%) and a small minority of the countries population (approximately 5%) practice Islam (Yusuf 2007). The Buddhists are often referred to as the Thai Buddhists and the Islam’s are referred to as the Islamic Malays or the Malay Muslims. There is a bitter division between these two religious groups within the country of Thailand. Although the religious conflict has been present for some time, the recent uprisings continue to create concern for the country. With the political instability, insurgency in the southern region, increase in religious conflict, Thailand is being threatened of its cultural identity and independence. The government has been unable to resolve these conflicts and the county has struggled to maintain peace and stability. Thailand needs to build a stable democracy within a divided country. This paper will analyze the historical roots of the religious conflict in Thailand, the contemporary issues, and ideas for future progress for the conflicted region. Historical Roots An important concept relating to Thailand is that religion plays a major role in human culture. The country is primarily Buddhist in religious beliefs; but, the constitution of Thailand does not state that Buddhism as the official religion. This fact does not seem to change the fact that the majority of the citizens in Thailand want the state to follow the culture, language, and religious practices of Buddhism. Dating back to the early 1900’s, the government has pushed for the use of the Thai language to educate the southern Malay Muslims (Harish 2006). The Malays were

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