MAOIST INSURGENCY - THE RISE AND FALL OF THE COMMUNIST-PARTY OF THAILAND

It is Maoist "people's war" that has remained the touchstone for would-be revolutionaries. For all the uniqueness of the Vietnamese approach, it is not possible to separate it from its Chinese predecessor. So, too, is this the case with following episodes. Since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, we have stood witness to three major instances of revolutionary warfare consciously modeled upon Mao's strategies. These have occurred in Thailand, Peru, and the Philippines. In all three, the insurgents have not only claimed to be "making a revolution" but have held up Mao's approach in providing guidance for their campaigns. It is forgotten that only a decade ago many expected Thailand to become "the next Vietnam." Today, however, Thailand has won the war with its Communist insurgents and is in the midst of an economic boom. Bangkok is now being heralded as the next "Asian miracle." The Communist Party of Thailand (CPT) is still around and is still dreaming of the day its "people's war" will culminate in a Marxist victory. Yet it has become a shrill voice with no audience. The reasons for this stunning development have not yet been studied in detail. This is a mistake, because the Thai insurgency provides a useful window.for examining one of the few recent and "complete " episodes of revolutionary warfare. Furthermore, since the efforts by the insurgents to "make a revolution" were ultimately unsuccessful there are practical as well as theoretical lessons to be learned. Ironically, in the end, it was government-led "people's war" that ended the Maoist-inspired effort by the Communists to seize state power.