Memorializing Conflict and History in South Thailand through Museums, Art, and Poetry

Abstract

ABSTRACT:This article examines public history in Deep South (Patani) Thailand, where renewed political conflict since 2014 has rekindled memories of a traumatic past and created an environment for its commemoration. A private museum honoring Haji Sulong, a Patanian nationalist branded as a rebel by Thai authorities, and the poetry of Zakariya Amataya conjure collective memories of the Deep South. Long subjected to hegemonic cultural policies that privilege a national identity centered on Thainess, the Malay South has gained visibility through the arts. Its vibrant arts-scape functions as a site of public history. The counterhistories produced serve to memorialize the past, offering a path out of historiographical silencing and potential for national reconciliation in the troubled region.