Pattani

Town in Thailand’s Malay-Muslim far south, at the centre of a long insurgency. An Aeon essay on violent Buddhism opens with interviews in a Pattani hotel lobby.

At a glance

Source	Author	Role	In one line
Westerners think that Buddhism is about peace and non-violence. So how come Buddhist monks are in arms against Islam?	Michael Jerryson	setting	The author interviews two devout Buddhist police officers stationed in the near-empty hotel lobby because insurgents had been bombing…

Westerners think that Buddhism is about peace and non-violence. So how come Buddhist monks are in arms against Islam? — Michael Jerryson

Source: Original · Readwise highlight

In Pattani’s capital district, the My Gardens Hotel is popular with tourists. I had gone there to collect people’s opinions on the killing of Buddhist monks.

• Role: setting
• In the article: The author interviews two devout Buddhist police officers stationed in the near-empty hotel lobby because insurgents had been bombing local businesses. They give a cool analysis of economics and poverty, but turn to passionate rage when asked about killings of monks, which shocks the author and prompts his questioning of the peaceful-Buddhism image.
• Why it matters: Scene of the author’s first-hand encounter with Buddhist justification of violence.