Chuan urges government on Thai southern insurgency death toll
Chuan Leekpai addressed parliament on Sept 16, 2026, urging the government to follow the understand-access-develop policy and noting over 7,000 deaths.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Chuan Leekpai addressed parliament on September 16, 2026, regarding southern insurgency.
- Over 7,000 fatalities recorded in the southern border provinces and Songkhla since Jan 4, 2004.
- Urged the cabinet to grasp the true spirit of the policy and avoid creating division.
Chuan Leekpai, list-MP for the Democrat Party, took the floor during the House of Representatives meeting on September 16, 2026. The session, chaired by Lertsak Phatthanachaikul, the second deputy house speaker, held an urgent debate to monitor and address the ongoing unrest in the southernmost provinces of Thailand.
During his speech, Chuan highlighted the severe human cost of the conflict in the southern border provinces and parts of Songkhla, noting that more than 7,000 people have lost their lives since the violence escalated on January 4, 2004. He also recalled the Hat Yai railway station bombing on April 7, 2001, viewing it as the starting point of loose policy enforcement following orders concerning 18 key figures at the time.
Chuan strongly emphasized the necessity of truly understanding and implementing the royal-initiated "understand, access, develop" policy. Furthermore, he issued a warning to government ministers and authorities against taking any actions that could foster division within the region, which would only complicate peacebuilding efforts further.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
"Chuan recalls the 7,000 southern insurgency deaths, urges the government to truly grasp the spirit of the understand-access-develop policy, warns ministers against creating division, and stresses that solving the southern unrest requires believing in the potential of the Thai people."
Chuan Leekpai
Concluding his parliamentary address, the veteran politician suggested that a sustainable resolution to the southern border conflict requires the government to place genuine trust in the capabilities and potential of local Thai citizens to foster lasting peace.
The unrest in Thailand's deep south remains one of the nation's most enduring security challenges since 2004. Bringing up the grim milestone of over 7,000 casualties in parliament highlights persistent concerns over human costs, while the "understand, access, develop" framework continues to be viewed as a vital compass for building trust and public participation in the multicultural region.
Source: Khaosod Politics
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