Details

This seminar has an objective to brainstorm ideas of women, and a few men, who represent their society and are close to the violence in the Southern Thailand.

Background and rationale:

Since early 2004, violence in the three Southern provinces of Thailand, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, and also in some districts of Songkhla has been escalating steadily. Bombs and arson attacks have been targeted not only against government establishment and state officials, but also at innocent people, both Buddhists and Muslims. Never before has been great loss of lives and injuries to the society, particularly to those women suffering from the loss or disability of their husbands, fathers or sons. These women inevitably faced a new role in her family as well as in her society, as they became the bread-winners while still fulfilling domestic responsibilities and taking care of the disabled. The question is whether women’s role in the society of the three Southern provinces, particularly Muslim society, has changed?

Though we heard that the state has set up and provided many measures, directly and indirectly, to help these suffered women, there is still a question whether there is an alternative or alternatives to remedy, particularly remediation through their Mulim friends and neighbors in their own society in regard to Koran and Islamic believe.