An increasingly brutal separatist insurgency in Thailand’s southern border provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat has claimed more than 4,100 lives since it resumed in January 2004. The militants have committed widespread abuses, including targeted killings and numerous bombings against civilians. In response, the Thai government has imposed special security legislation and increased the number of regular and paramilitary troops to around 30,000 in the region.