October 2008
Beyond Southern Thailands beaches, lies Thailand's deep south. Crime and Islamic extremism are rife. Clashes between the Buddhist authorities and Muslim population have claimed 3,500 lives in four years.
Tensions reach boiling point when villagers claim that the authorities have attacked a Muslim school. The bullets came from the back, through the wall and out", says the headmaster. "The cylinder was full of gas and a child was hiding behind it". Retaliation is swift. A roadside bomb explodes beneath a passer-by. As rescuers lift the injured man into a van, bullets rain down on them. At night, Buddhist volunteers man roadblocks in an attempt to counter the Islamic separatists. One is a 16-year-old student, rifle slung over his shoulder. We must keep on fighting, says the towns mayor. Will spiralling violence lead to civil war in Thailand?
Produced by SBS/Dateline
Distributed by Journeyman Pictures
