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

This article examines public history in Deep South (Patani)(1) 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.