Thailand: Violence Against Schools

(September 15, 2010) - Students, teachers, and schools have all been caught in the conflict in Thailand’s southern border provinces. Separatist insurgents have killed and threatened teachers; bombed and burned government schools and teachers’ housing facilities; and recruited children into their ranks from schools. Government military and paramilitary forces have occupied school grounds to establish bases. Such violations by both sides to the conflict impede the access to a quality education sought by hundreds of thousands of children in – Thai Buddhist and Malay Muslim alike.