Language is a key to Southern Stability

Foreign scholars at a recent seminar in Bangkok co-organised by Walailak and Chulalongkorn universities strongly advised allowing ethnic Malay Muslims in the deep South to use the Yawi dialect in primary school as a way to peace. They argued that it would not further separatist sentiments in the South, but would instead create respect toward the central government in Bangkok. Ahmad Fathy al-Fatani, a renowned Islamic scholar from Malaysia, said the Muslims in southern Thailand had pride in their historic language and that Bangkok-initiated efforts to assimilate the Thai language into the region did not bode well for the people-state relationship. ''Thanks to Patani Ulama [14-15th century Muslim scholars from the Patani region], the Malayu language has been widely used in Islamic studies and also in daily life ... Mixing Thai language in primary schools for those speaking Malayu has only confused the kids _ they cannot do well in either the Thai or Yawi languages,'' said Mr Ahmad, whose book Patani History has been widely cited by Thai academics. He pointed out that in many countries, such as Russia, South Africa, Malaysia and Indonesia, minority languages are widely spoken. ''Why doesn't Bangkok allow the use of Yawi in primary school? I believe if they do so, tension in southern Thailand will be eased up,'' said the independent researcher at the Dec 11-12 seminar on ''The Phantasm in Southern Thailand: Historical Writings on Patani and the Islamic World.'' The ancient Patani Kingdom included much of northern Malaysia as well as what is now the southernmost region of Thailand. Administrative control over the South was abruptly instated by the central government in 1909, but the culture and language were allowed to remain intact, said the Malaysian scholar, who questioned why Bangkok should now feel that the use of the Yawi language in school is inappropriate. Hatib Abdul Kadir, of the Gadjah Mada University Centre for Religious and Cross-cultural Studies (CRCS), said Bangkok should not be so paranoid as to think that allowing the local language to be widely spoken would create some form of separation. ''Look at Indonesia since Suharto's fall, people are no longer forced to use only Bahasar. In fact, if you allow freedom of language, the local people will feel grateful and more loyal to the central government. Bangkok will be respected by the Muslim southerners if their language is well-recognised. There will be less resistance if their identity can be formally expressed,'' said Mr Hatib, who is from the Indonesian province of Yogyakarta . The Indonesian scholar also said that cross-cultural and inter-religious dialogue would only work through for mal education within the society. Conflict in southern Thailand is supposed to be solved not only by political and security means, but also by understanding the religious contexts of the situation, he said. To overcome the conflicts, he said, an effort needs to be made to initiate a dialogue for reconciliation that is inclusive and seeks atonement and forgiveness for the adherents of every faith. Suhaimi Awae of Yala Technical College said the preservation of the Malayu language and Yawi alphabet meant recognition of their identity for Muslims in the deep South, and pointed out that Unesco had in 2003 recognised Yawi for its ''intangible'' contribution to world heritage. ''Reading, writing and speaking in their own language is symbolic of the preservation of their identity for the people in this region. It is an articulation of their pride.'' Domestic and foreign scholars at the seminar were eager to discuss a number of topics relating to the glory of Patani's past and agreed there was a glaring need for the people to be able to actively express their cultural identity. The calls for recognition of the Yawi language have played a central part in the political discourse coming out of the predominantly Malay-Muslim region in the past several years. Like wearing the hajib _ once a source of tension before becoming commonplace across the country _ the Yawi dialect issue might also have to face serious debates, especially among security authorities. Not so long ago, the government of Surayud Chulanont boldly announced it would allow Yawi as a working language for government officials in the three southernmost provinces and would ensure that there were an adequate number of Malay-speaking officials. The announcement followed the recommendation of the government-appointed, but independent, National Reconciliation Commission (NRC), but it was fiercely objected to by Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda, who said the Thai language should be used throughout the Kingdom. But it was not only Gen Prem's objections that killed this and other proposals from the NRC. The rest of the country, including the Bangkok elites, are for the most part ignorant of the history of the region and have no clue what to do with the ''different and demanding'' Malay-Muslim people. The merits of the 132-page NRC report, which urges the promotion of cultural respect and social diversity as well as making Yawi an additional working language, should be re-considered, as suggested by the scholars at the seminar. After all, despite the different cultural features, the deep South has remained closely integrated economically and socially with the rest of Thailand, much like the formerly Khmer-controlled Isan and Lanna-influenced Chiang Mai. Bangkok should learn to appreciate or at least understand why keeping the Yawi dialect is such an important issue for the people in the restive South. Through the course of 19th century the Malay language (with Yawi alphabet) was a significant tool to spread and intensify Islam through Yawi texts. It complimented the Arabic language in Islamic discourse throughout the region, which produced a number of key Ulama (community of learned men) for the Islamic world, including Shaykh Dawud Fatani (1769-1847), But recognition of this should not lead to negligence in the southern people of the fact that Patani's glorious past had other ethnic attributes. Patani in earlier days (16th-17th century) was a hybrid of commercial networks between Chinese, Malay, and Siamese communities, all of whom contributed to its success as destinations for China's trading vessels. As renowned historian Anthony Reid said at the seminar, a Malay identity was forged among those who came and made Patani their home, Islam their religion, and Malay their lingua franca. We should expect a substantial accommodation for Chinese, Japanese and other immigrants in Thai Buddhism as well. Mr Reid said there were multiple religious options for the Chinese settlers before the harder lines of the 20th century separated Thai, Malay and Chinese modes of worship as necessarily different. The overwhelming conclusion of the seminar was that tolerance and open-mindedness are the key to establishing peace in the deep South. From :BangkokPost,Sunday edition