Memorializing conflict and history in South Thailand through museums, art, and poetry
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-1-2022
Abstract
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.
Keywords
Deep South Thailand, Collective memory, Hegemonic state, Arts-scape, Counterhistories
Divisions
South
Funders
None
Publication Title
Public Historian
Volume
44
Issue
2
Publisher
Univ Califfornia Press
Publisher Location
155 GRAND AVE, SUITE 400, OAKLAND, CA 94612-3758 USA