A Deep Chasm? Ethno-cultural Diversity and Nationalism in the History of Malay-Muslim-Dominated Southern Thailand

Abstract

Undoubtedly, ethno-cultural diversity in the contemporary era has been a social reality that cannot be denied.  However, promoting multiculturalism and interculturalism is not always a straightforward process: there tends to be a gap between these concepts as discourses at the state or elite level and their practical implementation at the societal level.  This article attempts to examine why such a gap still exists by analysing the ethno-cultural tensions in the Malay-Muslims-dominated Deep South of Thailand.  The Deep South provides an illuminating example of a non-Thai minority culture living inside the Buddhist-dominated Thai state, and presents a challenging case study in the management of ethno-cultural diversity.  This article aims to elucidate how different state elites have dealt with the Malay-Muslims in varying ways, and to examine why state formulations of Thainess have remained neither fully multicultural nor intercultural despite the ruling elites’ recognition of ethno-cultural diversity and their publicly articulated commitment to promoting equal citizenship.