According to observers, Thailand has appointed the primary Muslim woman governor, which is an indication of “improving the situation of Muslim women in politics.”
Pateemoh Sadeeyamu (57) has been appointed as the brand new governor of the southern province of Pattani.
The Thai government approved the rise on Tuesday.
She worked for nearly 29 years within the Ministry of Interior within the Buddhist-majority country, and previously served as deputy governor of Narathiwat Province.
“This is a huge development. Being a Muslim and a woman comes with many challenges in Thai politics,” Yasmin Sattar, vice dean for science, research and foreign affairs at Prince of Songkla University in Pattani, told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday.
“We have seen an improvement in the situation of Muslim women in politics,” Sattar said of Sadeeyam.
Of the 77 provinces, the 4 southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkla have been witnessing conflicts for several many years with the National Revolutionary Front because the primary rebel group.
Sadeeyam’s elevation to the provincial governorship is seen as “resulting in a positive perception amongst many Muslims.”
This may lead to greater trust within the Thai state, which is crucial to ending the conflict, Sattar said in reference to peace efforts between the Thai government and insurgent groups in southern regions.
Beginning her profession thirty years ago, Sadeeyamu served within the southern provinces of Ranong, Yala and Pattani.
She also served as director of the central administrative office of the Southern Frontier Provinces Administrative Center before being appointed deputy governor of Phatthalung Province and later Narathiwat Province, from where she was elected head of Pattani Province.
The Southern Thailand Uprising began in 1948 as an ethnic and non secular conflict within the historic Malay Patani region.
According to government data, the southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla are home to a big Malay-Muslim community – Patani – with a population of 1.4 million.
The Thai government imposed martial law in three Muslim-majority southern Thai provinces – Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala – after deadly violence in 2004.
According to the monitoring group Deep South Watch, greater than 7,000 people were killed and 13,000 injured within the armed conflict between 2004 and 2020.
