KITA Discourse Series 2024/3: Commerce, Colonialism, Conflict as Drivers of Ethnic Change in South Thailand

COMMERCE, COLONIALISM, CONFLICT AS DRIVERS OF ETHNIC CHANGE IN SOUTH THAILAND

By:

DR. CHRISTOPHER M. JOLL (Chulalongkorn University, Thailand)
29 February 2024 (Thursday)
10.00 a.m. – 11.30 a.m.
Platform: Hybrid

This presentation considers how conflict, colonialism, and commerce have historically contributed to the ethnic diversity of South Thailand. The first half of this presentation begins with a summary of changes to the political geography of Malay-majority portions of the Thai-Malay Peninsula from the end of the former Sultanate of Patani, to modern provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat. Following a brief description of Patani’s ethnic makeup in a seventeenth century primary sources, I introduce census data in Siamese sources that quantify ethnic diversity in “Monthon Patani” (established 1906). These reveal the presence of non-Malays in some surprising places. Having quantified ethnicity, and outlined the cultural geography of this borderland, I provide a brief description of local ethnic minorities in travelogues penning between the late-nineteenth, and early twentieth century. The second half of this presentation summarises the developments that historical contributed to these Ethnic minorities. We draw attention to population movements, and that scholars sharing my interests in South Thailand need to highlight the impact of Malay migration (out of), and ethnic minorities immigrating (into) this borderland. The latter includes transmigration policies initiated by Bangkok. We summarise how both these have historically been related to conflict, a Siamese form of what has been referred to crypto-colonialism, and commerce.

Presenter’s Profile

Dr. Christopher M. Joll is a New Zealand religious anthropologist and historian, who has spent most of the last two decades studying Thailand’s scattered between Central Thailand and the Malaysian border. He is the author of Muslim Merit-making in Thailand’s Far-south (Springer, 2011). In addition to being a research fellow at the Centre of Excellence for Muslim Studies at Chulalongkorn University’s Institute of Asian Studies, he supervises a cohort of post-graduate students at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Institute of Ethnic Studies.

PROGRAMME:

Date: 29 February 2024 (Thursday)
Time: 10.00 a.m. – 11.30 a.m.
Venue: KITA Meeting Room, 4th Floor, Kolej Keris Mas Administration Building, UKM Bangi Campus
Live Streaming: Zoom & KITA Facebook page

10.00 a.m.: Introduction by Moderator & welcoming remarks

10.10 a.m.: Commerce, Colonialism, Conflict as Drivers of Ethnic Change in South Thailand – Dr. Christopher M. Joll

11.00 a.m.: Q & A Session

11.30 a.m. Closing

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Disclaimer: The views expressed in the presentation(s) are those of the presenter(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of KITA.

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