How should the Thai government protect civilians in the country's Deep South? Hara Shintaro writes that dissemination of information about humanitarian principles and International Humanitarian Law could be an effective way to ensure better security for civilians and the Thai authorities should allow activities related to the dissemination of humanitarian principles so that respect for these principles becomes the norm in the conflict area.

On Sunday (17 December), Just Home, a network of activists and citizens in Pattani, marched from the Pattani City Hall to the Pattani Central Mosque to call for a ceasefire in Palestine.

When Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin met his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim in November, they did not discuss the conflict in Thailand's Deep South. As the Thai government prepares for a new round of peace talks, Hara Shintaro writes that there is a need for more public participation in the peace process.

The 20-year statute of limitations for the legal cases related to the Tak Bai incident will be running out in October 2024. The incident remains an obstacle to transitional justice in the Deep South, writes Hara Shintaro, as the culture of impunity in the region made it unlikely that justice will be delivered.

Since the latest crisis between Palestine and Israel started on 7 October 2023, questions have been raised about what impact the situation in the Middle East might have on Thailand's Deep South. Hara Shintaro writes about the reaction of the insurgent group BRN and other locals to the crisis, noting that it is unlikely the crisis in Palestine will affect the situation in Thailand's Deep South.

In May 2023, a man arrested for alleged involvement in the October 2013 ATM bombings in Yala and Pattani was released After serving nine years and six months in prison. However, two days before his release, the Songkhla prosecutor filed for a court order to place him under special preventive measures based on a law designed to control the behaviours of ex-criminal who commit sexual or violent offences. Ahead of the court ruling on 4 October, Hara Shintaro asks whether it is appropriate for such a law to be applied to suspects in security cases in an area where several special security laws are already being enforced.

The Severe State of Emergency in the Deep South has been extended for another month, despite demands from civil society groups for the new government to end the State of Emergency, which has continued in force in the three Deep South provinces for the past 18 years.

The Constitutional Court has dismissed a complaint filed against the Move Forward party, the Fair Party, and the Prachachat Party over a mock referendum on the right to self-determination held by a student group at the Prince of Songkla University.

After the May 2023 general election, the eight-party coalition led by the Move Forward Party signed an MOU to form a democratic government, but the document was revoked when Pheu Thai left the coalition along with the Prachachat Party, an influential party in the Deep South, to form a coalition with parties under strong military influence. Hara Shintaro writes on the impact of revoking the MOU on the peace process in the Deep South and the possibility of rebuilding trust in the process under the current political situation.

With the breaking of the 8-party coalition under the Move Forward Party and the formation of a new government headed by Pheu Thai, questions have been raised about how the peace process will progress in Thailand's Deep South. Hara Shintaro writes about the prospects of peace in the Deep South under the new government.

<p>A student group at Chiang Mai University&rsquo;s Faculty of Law has decided to cancel a board game night, during which they planned to play the card game &ldquo;Patani Colonial Territory,&rdquo; due to concerns caused by a visit from an officer of unknown affiliation.</p>