Publication

This report addresses Thailand's increasing reliance on paramilitary forces and militias in its struggle with insurgency in its majority Muslim southern provinces. The paper describes and analyzes Thailand's security landscape, focusing on the two largest armed groups: the Rangers and the Village Defense Volunteers. Furthermore, the paper reviews the history of paramilitarism in the country, comments on informal Buddhist militias and outlines tensions in the Saba Yoi district. The paper finds that the various militias and paramilitary organizations hinder more than they help and argues that the government should move toward more professional and accountable security arrangements.