Life in Thailand's Troubled Deep South (33 images)

There's a war going on in Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala, Thailand's three southernmost provinces, between the region's Muslim majority and forces representing Thailand's Buddhist central government. It's a bloody campaign being fought in the shadows. Insurgents use bombs and targeted assassinations (of teachers, Buddhist monks and government officials).

The Thai government has responded by sending ten of thousands of regular soldiers to the region and arming a militia of tens of...
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There's a war going on in Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala, Thailand's three southernmost provinces, between the region's Muslim majority and forces representing Thailand's Buddhist central government. It's a bloody campaign being fought in the shadows. Insurgents use bombs and targeted assassinations (of teachers, Buddhist monks and government officials).

The Thai government has responded by sending ten of thousands of regular soldiers to the region and arming a militia of tens of thousands.

The roots of the conflict go back centuries, to when the region was an independent Muslim kingdom. A part of Thailand since just 1902, Muslims chafe against Buddhist control and fear the loss of their culture.

These pictures were made during a recent trip to the region. There are more photos in my archive and available from ZUMA Press.
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