61 lines
2.6 KiB
Markdown
61 lines
2.6 KiB
Markdown
The **Maoist Insurgency in Thailand** was a 18-year long [guerilla
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war](Guerilla_Warfare "wikilink") (1965 - 1983) between
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[Maoists](Maoism "wikilink") (in the [Communist Party of
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Thailand](Communist_Party_of_Thailand "wikilink")) and the government of
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[Thailand](Thailand "wikilink"), then [backed by the
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USA](Timeline_of_US_Hegemony "wikilink"), [Taiwan](Taiwan "wikilink")
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and [Malaysia](Malaysia "wikilink") (the Maoists were backed by
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[China](China "wikilink"), [Vietnam](Vietnam "wikilink") and [North
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Korea](North_Korea "wikilink")).
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## Background
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The insurgency was largely caused by anger at the presence of the US
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military in the country, inequality, repression of dissidents and the
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success of the [Chinese
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Revolution](Chinese_Revolution_\(1949\) "wikilink"). In the early 1950s,
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a group of 50 Thai communists traveled to Beijing where they receiving
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ideological and military training. In addition, the Pathet Lao set up
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small communist groups in 1961 and sent Thai communists to China, Laos
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and Vietnam to train. 350 Thai nationals trained and while they
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initially only had French, Chinese and Japanese weapons, they soon
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smuggled 3,000 US made weapons and 90,000 rounds of ammunition from Laos
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that the US sold to the Laotian army which they sold to smugglers and
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eventually the communists. From 1961 to 1965, the Maoists carried out 17
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assassinations.
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## Events
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In 1965, the Maoists began an all out guerilla war against the
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government, attacking police and military patrols. They also attempted
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to attack US military bases. In addition, after many Kuomingtang
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soldiers fled from China and became a part of the regions lucrative
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[Opium trade](Illicit_Drugs "wikilink") the government repressed this
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and destroyed entire villages, providing a new population of recruits.
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The Maoists continued a small-scale guerilla war until 1983.
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### Repression
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*Content Warning: Extremely graphic descriptions of violence and
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torture*
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*Main Article: [White Terror
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(Thailand)](White_Terror_\(Thailand\) "wikilink")*
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The government deployed massive counter-insurgency operations to crush
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the insurgents and assassinated their leaders and any sympathiers.
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Between 200 and 3000 Civilians who were suspected of supporting the
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government were placed in oil drums while half-conscious and burnt
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alive. Soldiers also raped and murdered university students suspected of
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supporting the insurgents.
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## Results
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The insurgents declared an amnesty by 1980 and only small pockets of
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insurgents carried on the struggle, but by 1983 they have given up
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completely. Like most Maoist insurgencies, the one in Thailand was a
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complete failure.
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## References
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<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_insurgency_in_Thailand> |