Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
cial police assumed control of security, though they lacked perceived moral authority and
the support of the local population. In 2004, the government responded harshly to demon-
strations that resulted in the Krue Se Mosque and Tak Bai incidents, which together cost
the lives of at least 180 Muslims, many of them unarmed civilians. In 2005, martial law
was declared in the area.
Voting in Thailand is compulsory for all eligible citizens, which excludes monks and other religious fig-
ures.
After more than a decade of violence, Thailand's national government announced peace
talks with Barisan Revolusion Nasional (BNR), a Malaysian-based insurgent group claim-
ing a leading role in the southern war. But meetings have been suspended due to spikes in
violence and concerns that BNR doesn't exert significant organisational control.
Another troublesome spot is an ongoing border dispute with Cambodia. In 2008 Cam-
bodia successfully petitioned Unesco to list the ancient Khmer temple of Khao Phra Wi-
han ('Preah Vihear' in Cambodian) as an official World Heritage Site. Remote and seem-
ingly insignificant, the temple has long been a contentious issue between Cambodia and
Thailand. A 1969 International Court of Justice case awarded Cambodia ownership of the
temple, but both countries lay claim to a 4.6-sq-km area surrounding it. Four years since
the Unesco petition, troops have been deployed to the border and periodically exchange
fire, including clashes in 2011. In 2013, the International Court of Justice ruled in favour
of Cambodia's claim on the disputed territory and ordered the two countries to make a bi-
lateral agreement on amended boundary lines.
