there are many many Muslim fishing villages further north in Thailand. I have visited many. they are beautiful, peaceful & add a lot of culture, particularly the silk weavers
in conflicts like this, it is "political bullies" on both sides causing the conflict, which includes intimidating their own
Widow Jiaw Pongthawil, the last Buddhist in a Thai Muslim village
The mother-of-six was widowed in 2007, leaving her alone in a spacious bungalow festooned with dusty curios and weathered posters of Thailand's revered king. Her military guards, stationed in sand-bagged dug outs, say she is a courageous Thai elder who they are willing to defend with their lives.
Security forces are often assigned to guard people of both religions who are considered targets of the militants for their supposed collusion with the state, with teams of troops flanking monks on their rounds and teachers as they make their way to and from school.
But while Jiaw is grateful for their protection, she is saddened that most of her Muslim neighbours no longer visit her.
"We used to live together ... we helped each other. But now they want all of us out. Buddhists and Muslims live apart," she says.
