Two leaders of the National Student Movement, or Pelajar Gangsa, have explained that there is no political motive behind their recent holding of a mock referendum, designed to gauge the opinions of people in the Deep South about the right to self-determination and an independent State of Patani.
Speaking to Thai PBS, the two unnamed student leaders said that the formation of their movement was rooted in the sharing of a common purpose among the students who demand equal rights and a peaceful solution to the violence in the Deep South.
They claim that the holding of the recent mock referendum at the Pattani campus of Prince of Songkhla University was intended to gauge opinions on approaches to ending the decades-long violence.
Looking back at the violence over the past two decades, the student leaders said that there has been a schism between the Thai security establishment and the student movement, such as the P.N.Y.S group, who are activists at Ramkhamhaeng University and were suspected by Thai security agencies to be behind the Krue Se Mosque protest.
Meanwhile, Assoc. Prof.Dr. Abdulroning Suetair at Prince of Songkla University (Pattani Campus), said that the mock referendum was held at the wrong time, as Thailand is in the middle of the transition with a new government yet to be formed.
He admitted that the idea of an independent State of Patani is a politically sensitive issue for Thai society and the conflict over this issue may result in more violence.
He noted, however, that for the peace process to proceed, the space must be open for all to share divergent views, particularly those who disagree with the Thai government.
He said that self-determination is not necessarily independence, which may not be the solution to the problem or the wish of most people in the region.
